A Snowball's Chance in Hell
by Dianwei32
Summary: Keeping a smile on your face is difficult when your sister buries herself in paperwork to avoid you and it feels like your boyfriend is only interested in one thing. Anna is determined to find out why Elsa is pulling away and won't let anything stand in her way. The only question is; will she be able to come to terms with the reason? Or was a happy ending never meant for her?
1. Chapter 1

A Snowball's Chance in Hell

**Chapter One  
**

Elsa stood on the balcony overlooking the castle courtyard. Despite her initial promise that they would never close the gates again, she had been forced to resume closing them at night after several items went missing from the stables and the castle kitchens. The gates weren't due to open for another ten minutes or so, and Elsa enjoyed the peace and quiet of the early morning before the hustle and bustle of the day took over.

A gust of wind picked up and tugged at the edge of her silk bathrobe, causing her to clutch it to herself so that it wouldn't fly open. Elsa knew that she should probably be getting properly dressed, but after years and years of trying to conceal herself and her powers, she relished the time when she was able to traipse around her room in nothing but a bathrobe, if even that. The wind brought several leaves onto the balcony, drawing Elsa's attention to the hills outside of the city. As summer gave way to fall, the trees shifted from fields of green to a vibrant sea of reds, yellows, and oranges.

But even the crisp, cool autumn air was still a little warm for Elsa's tastes. She traced lazy circles in the air with a finger, releasing just enough magic to lower the temperature around her. No frost formed on the balcony railing, but goosebumps rose on Elsa's arms nonetheless. She simply stood there, enjoying the feeling of the frigid air swirling around her and sneaking under her robe.

The sound of the courtyard gates unlocking brought Elsa out of her reverie. She quickly ducked back inside, but peeked out and the gates to see why they were opening early. The gate guard pulled the massive door open just a crack, allowing a lone figure to slip inside before they shut again. She watched the newcomer cross the courtyard for a bit, wondering who could have been important enough or vociferous enough to get the guard to let them through.

When the stranger reached the halfway point of the courtyard, Elsa finally recognized Anna walking toward the castle. Well, not quite walking. Storming, plodding, or stomping all felt more appropriate. Elsa chuckled to herself as she watched her sister approach the main doors. _Only Anna could look so cute while stomping around_, she thought.

The thought gave Elsa pause. She'd had a lot to think about after Anna nearly sacrificed her own life to save her. After all of their years apart, Anna had leapt in front of a sword to save her, a woman she barely knew anymore. They had been spending a lot more time together since then, but Elsa was having trouble reconciling this new woman that called herself her sister with the carefree, reckless child that she'd known years and years ago. Anna was still reckless and carefree, for the most part, but the small child of Elsa's memory had blossomed into a remarkable and beautiful woman. Elsa's mind jumped back to the party that they'd had to celebrate her return and the return of summer.

* * *

Anna was late to the party for… some reason or another; Elsa couldn't remember. _She's probably out with Kristoff again_, she thought, peeking at the clock while maintaining the illusion of listening to her visitors. She had been in the middle of a conversation with a delegation from the Southern Isles that had been sent to apologize profusely for Prince Hans' behavior when Anna's arrival was announced. She glanced toward the grand staircase, but immediately did a double take. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her. There was no way that she could believe the woman practically gliding down the stairs was her sister, who would occasionally trip over her own feet on a flat surface. Elsa absently excused herself from the conversation and made her way over to the staircase, a feat made much easier by guests parting before her like the sea. She reached the base of the stairs at the same time as Anna, who grinned and nearly leaped forward to give her a hug.

Elsa returned the hug, her mind still reeling. It was definitely Anna, from the green silk dress, to the flowing copper hair, and the smattering of freckles across her face. Elsa had never seen her look so… grown up before, and it was an astonishing sight. Anna gave her one final squeeze and pulled back from the hug, looking up at her and still smiling broadly.

"You look… beautiful," Elsa said. The word had never felt so inadequate, but it was all that she could come up with. Anna smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She mumbled a quick word of thanks as a blush spread across her cheeks. Elsa's eyes were glued to her sister, unable to look away. After a moment, the younger woman looked up at Elsa quizzically.

"Is… everything okay?" Anna asked. She brought a hand up and wiped her fingers along the edges of her mouth. "I don't have chocolate on my face, do I?" she mumbled hurriedly. She made a few more swipes across her mouth, looking curiously at her fingers when they came back clean.

"N-no, it's— I just…" Elsa gave up trying to respond, failing to bite back a chuckle. Just like that the spell was broken. The mesmerizing woman transformed back into Anna, her little sister. She was still beautiful, but Elsa was no longer frozen in place, ogling her wordlessly. She held her arm out for Anna, who took it eagerly and pressed herself into Elsa's side for a moment before they headed out to mingle with the guests.

* * *

Elsa had felt something stir in her that night, but the party had presented more pressing concerns, so she ignored it. It wasn't until she had accidentally walked in on Anna and Kristoff sharing a private moment that she realized what it was. She was developing _feelings_ for Anna, ones entirely inappropriate to feel for one's sibling. Waves of jealousy surged through her at the sight of Anna and Kristoff being so close, followed quickly by a touch of sorrow that she could never share a similar moment with Anna, which was in turn wiped out by the massive guilt and shame she had for even considering such a thing.

She'd spent nearly an entire day locked in her room after that, attempting to sort out the whirling maelstrom of conflicting emotions running rampant inside of her. She had refused to see anyone, even Anna. _Especially_ Anna. Through it all, she came to the conclusion that while she loved Anna as a sister, there was a creeping desire for more. Elsa wanted to feel the warmth of her sister's body pressed up against hers, to run her fingers through Anna's luxurious hair, and taste the softness of her lips. She knew it wasn't romantic love, but rather infatuation. Lust, even. Regardless, the feelings were there, and they were strong. Her room had been covered in several inches of snow and several jagged icicles by the time she'd regained her composure. Since then, she'd been trying to maintain a modicum of distance between Anna and herself. She trusted her iron will to keep her from making any rash decisions or foolish mistakes, but it was still better not to risk it. _Besides, it is not like it would ever happen. She's happy with Kristoff._

Elsa snapped back to the present when the bells of the city clock tower tolled, announcing the new hour. She stepped away from the doorway she had been hiding behind to see it was covered in a thick layer of ice. _Damnit_, she cursed silently. Groaning, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. _Come on, Elsa, get a hold of yourself. Control. Control_, she chanted to herself. She took deep, even breaths, waving her hand to abolish the ice that had formed on the door. When she opened her eyes, everything was as it had been. _Well, I'd better go see what she's upset about._ She started for the door before remembering her attire, or lack thereof. _Getting dressed first might help. _Letting out one final rush of air, she tossed her bathrobe aside and grabbed the undergarments from her bed. Once they were on, she walked into her closet.

The first time she'd entered her closet, she was sure she'd discovered an extra bedroom of some kind that Kai had simply forgot to mention. It was certainly big enough. She swore it was as big as the room she and Anna had shared as children. However, the rows of clothing lining every available surface eventually convinced her that the room was, in fact, a massive closet. _Her_ massive closet. Elsa had spent nearly ten minutes walking around the closet and trying to find some sort of organizational pattern, but spending so much time surrounded by her old clothes had brought back unpleasant memories. In the end, she'd ordered all of her old clothes to be donated to charities throughout the city, save for a handful of dresses she'd inherited from her mother.

Now when she walked into her closet, it felt more alive. Where before her wardrobe had been dark, stuffy, and concealing, now it was light, airy, and perhaps a bit more casual than was strictly appropriate for a queen. Running her hand along a number of hangars, she settled on a soft lavender dress with short sleeves that ended just above the elbow. She always thought it made her look a little more approachable, and it was miles better than her 'ice' dress which, despite its name, could get horribly stuffy in the warmer summer months.

While she struggled to get the zipper of her dress all the way up, a glint of light caught Elsa's eye. After she managed to finish zipping up her dress, she moved to the back of the closet and looked over the object that had caught her eye. It was a black silk dress, or at least the seamstress had called it a dress when she had presented it. Elsa had always thought it looked more like an apron with the way it left her entire back and shoulders exposed. The front was even held up by a thin strap that went around her neck. Though, most aprons she'd seen were longer than the hem of the dress, which didn't even reach halfway down her thigh. The most… prominent feature, however, was the neck line. The one time Elsa had tried the dress on, it plunged well past her navel, nearly reaching her hips. It was even lined with sequins, naturally drawing the eye to the vast trail of skin that it laid bare.

Still, it was a lovely dress. Elsa had never had the opportunity to wear it—she could only imagine the scandal if she showed up anywhere in such a risque outfit—so she kept it on a dress form in her closet instead. Every now and then, she considered putting it on before attending one of her many royal functions as queen, but she had never quite been able to work up the courage to actually do it. She ran a finger down the luxurious fabric, briefly lamenting the fact that she would likely never be able to wear it, before turning on her heel and setting off to find her sister.

* * *

Anna stormed through the halls of the castle, grumbling to herself, "Kristoff, you stupid, boorish… idiot." She passed several servants along the way to her room, but all of them wisely kept their heads down and let the rumbling storm blow by unhindered. When Anna finally reached her room, she threw the door open and slammed it shut a moment later. She sat down roughly on the bed and ripped a boot off of her foot, haphazardly tossing it into the corner of the room. She tried to pull the other one off, but it was more stubborn than its twin and got caught on her heel. The boot held firm after a few tugs, so Anna yanked with all of her might, sending herself sprawling backwards onto the bed and the boot flying across the room.

Afterward, she simply lay there and stared at the ceiling. All of the frustration and anger that she had been holding onto was gone, leaving her tired after her forced march across the city. She reached up and ran a hand through her hair, letting out a sigh. "I thought…" she whispered to the empty air, "I thought I loved him. I thought… _he_ loved _me_." She draped an arm over her eyes, squeezing them shut against the tears that had followed her all the way from the outskirts of the city. Once the threat of tears had abated, she sat up and looked around the room.

"I need a bath," she mumbled absently. She stood up and reached over her shoulder to try and unzip her dress. It took several moments of struggling and using one arm to push the other higher, but she finally managed to grab the zipper of her dress well enough to pull it down. She carefully stepped out of the dress and laid it over the back of a chair. She turned on her heel to head for the bathroom only to stop mid-step when an unfortunate realization hit her. _I forgot to tell someone to draw a bath_, she thought dejectedly. She pressed a hand to her face and let out a frustrated groan. A knock on the door startled her, forcing her to pause before calling out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, your highness," Kai's voice came from the other side of the door. "I've had a bath drawn for you in the Royal Bathing Chamber, should you require it."

Anna skipped to the door, pulling open just a crack so that she could stick her head out. "Thank you, Kai," she said, smiling gratefully, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kai bowed slightly, but hesitated for a moment before asking, "Forgive me for prying, your highness, but… is everything well? Several members of the staff mentioned that you seemed rather… cross upon arriving at the castle this morning."

Anna shrank back behind the door a bit, as if trying to physically hide her embarrassment. "Yes," she replied, "I was just… a little frustrated. Everything's fine, though. Thank you."

The rotund butler merely nodded and headed off to whatever he had been doing before. Meanwhile, Anna slipped on a fluffy cotton bathrobe and scurried down the hall to the Royal Bathing Chamber. As she shut the door behind her, she marveled once again at the sheer size of the place. Over a dozen large copper tubs lined one half of the circular room, while the other side was filled with half a dozen even bigger baths were carved into the floor of the castle itself. The stone tubs were big enough to comfortably accommodate up to eight people while the copper ones were easily big enough for two.

Anna walked over to the nearest copper tub. It was full of water and even had a few little wisps of steam rising off of the tranquil surface. She stuck a hand into the water and let out a contented sigh as the heat seeped into her fingers. Shrugging off her bath robe and tossing it over the side of the next tub in line, she carefully hopped into the bath. Unfortunately, the tub was a little too full and some of the heavenly water spilled over the lip and onto the floor. Anna pulled the ribbons out of her braids and raked her fingers through her hair until they came undone, leaving a disheveled waterfall trailing down her back and into the water. She dipped down low enough to fully submerge herself before popping back up and settling down to soak for a bit.

She looked around the cavernous room some more while the warmth of the bath seeped into her body. She'd never seen it come even close to being fully occupied, and the only time she'd ever seen more than two people use it at once was during some boring economic conference her father had hosted. She'd walked in hoping to enjoy a soothing soak after an early morning horse ride, but was instead greeted by a dozen naked men from neighboring kingdoms conversing in and around one of the stone tubs. It had taken her a month before she was willing to set foot in the room, even fully clothed.

The sound of the nearby door opening shook Anna from her memories. She shrank down into the tub, peaking over the edge as the door swung open. However, she relaxed almost immediately when she heard the voice that drifted into the room.

"Anna?" Elsa called out as she took a single step into the Royal Bathing Chamber, scanning empty tub after empty tub in search of her sister. "Kai told me you might be—" She froze for an instant when she saw Anna slowly sitting up in a nearby tub. She quickly averted her gaze as Anna's bare shoulders rose into view, mumbling, "Oh. I didn't realize you were already in the bath. I can… just wait out here." She moved to retreat to the safety of the hall.

"Elsa, wait!" Anna cried after her sister, sounding a little more desperate than she meant to. She settled back into the tub until only her head was above water and kept talking at the open door, hoping the queen was still on the other side. "You don't have to go," she said, waving a hand below the water to create a small wave, "but you… can, if you want."

Elsa stood stock still, her hand trembling on the doorknob. _She's practically inviting you in_, she thought. She couldn't deny that she'd had a few horridly inappropriate dreams that started out like this. She squeezed her eyes shut and silently berated herself. _She'd never make the offer if she knew…_ She paused, unable to form the words even in the privacy of her own mind.

"Elsa?"

Anna's voice carried that hint of sadness that Elsa had heard so often growing up. It was the one that always entered her sister's voice when she finally gave up trying to get Elsa to end her self-imposed isolation and come out of her room. It tore at her heart to know that Anna still thought of her like that. She took a deep breath and stepped back into the bathing chamber, doing her best to hold a sincere smile. "Of course," she said, walking over and sitting on the edge of a nearby empty tub. "I just didn't want to intrude."

"You're not intruding," Anna replied, giggling, "In fact, you're free to join me, if you want. There's plenty of room and the water's amazing." She lifted a leg. Her foot broke the surface of the water in the middle of the tub, emphasizing all of the empty room.

A surreptitious agreement left Elsa's brain, picked up words in her vocal cords, and was almost out of her mouth before she caught it and chained it up in the back of her mind. She'd been so distracted by the thought of joining Anna, then the sight of her sister's leg rising out of the tub, that she'd almost responded without thinking. "No, thank you," she finally forced out, "I already bathed this morning in my personal chambers."

"I know," Anna responded, her eyes flitting up a bit, "I can tell, but I figured I'd ask to be polite." She leaned back against the end of the tub again, but caught her sister giving her a confused look. She giggled again before explaining, "Your hair." The simple explanation seemed only to confuse her sister further, so she kept going, "It's always… fluffier after you bathe."

"Fluffier?" Elsa echoed. She reached up and felt her hair, suddenly self-conscious that it had somehow frizzed up into some uncontrollable mess.

"No, no. It looks fine," Anna assured her sister, "It always looks good, it's just… fluffier sometimes." Anna shrugged, unable to find a better way to put it. Unfortunately the motion caused ripples in the water, and the ripples drew Elsa's eyes downward, giving her a clear, full view of Anna's breasts under the water. Elsa could only stare dumbly for a second before riveting her eyes to an oddly shaped stone in the floor.

_Please don't let her have noticed,_ she begged silently. She listened for some kind of uncomfortable rustling or awkward silence following her little lapse, but she only heard Anna humming happily to herself. Elsa let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and just listened to Anna's humming. She had recently discovered that Anna had a lovely singing voice, and now made a conscious effort to hear her little sister sing whenever she could. She sat on the cold, uncomfortable lip of the bath tub and watched Anna, glad to see the young woman so happy over such a simple thing and secretly a little jealous about that selfsame fact.

After another minute or so, three quick raps sounded at the door. Elsa smirked as she recognized the knock, calling out, "Yes, Kai?"

The door out to the main castle opened, but the butler stayed on the far side of the threshold. "Forgive the intrusion, your majesty, your highness," he said, speaking loudly to make sure his voice would carry to his unseen liege ladies, "Breakfast is served in the Eastern Dining Room, per your request."

"Thank you, Kai," said Anna, waving toward the door as it closed. She nestled down into the warm water until it was up to her nose, reveling in the heat one last time before she got out. Soon, her hips started to ache from being bent at an awkward angle for so long. She stood up suddenly, flinging a good deal of water onto the floor. "Alright," she chirped happily, "Let's go eat!"

However, Elsa was, ironically, frozen in place. She had been watching her sister's head a second ago, but now her field of vision was filled with Anna's bare thighs. Rivulets of water ran down the muscles, toned from years of horseback riding.

_I wonder what she tastes like._

The errant thought sent Elsa's heart up into her throat. She gripped the lip of the tub harder, feeling the cold metal grow frigid under her touch. She was sure that Anna had heard her somehow, so she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the disgust to come flying at her. The first words she heard didn't contain the vitriol that she expected.

"Hey, Elsa, can you hand me my robe? It's colder in here than I thought."

Elsa cracked an eye open to see Anna's outstretched hand pointing at a spot next to her. She followed her sister's finger with her eyes and saw a rumpled bathrobe sitting just to her side. She quickly grabbed it and thrust it out to Anna, who took it gratefully.

"Thanks," she said, carefully stepping out of the tub. Anna draped her robe over her back, but immediately cringed underneath it. "Oh, oh, cold!" she yelped, fixing Elsa with a playful glare, "That's not funny, Elsa!"

"I didn't do…" Elsa's sentence trailed off when she realized what had happened. Her freezing the metal in the tub had chilled Anna's bathrobe. She brought a hand to her mouth to cover her giggle. "I'm sorry, Anna," she apologized, unable to keep the smile off of her face, "I didn't do it on purpose."

"Sure you didn't," Anna muttered, huddling under her bathrobe. She rubbed along her arms to try and get warm, still glaring at her sister. She stalked over to where Elsa sat and put a finger in her face, saying, "I'm gonna get you for that." Her glare immediately melted into a playful smile and she bopped Elsa on the nose. While Elsa blinked in confusion, Anna grabbed one of her hands, intertwining their fingers and pulling her toward the door. "Come on, I'm hungry."

* * *

_That circle in the rug is forty-seven rows wide, but forty-nine rows long. Does that technically make it an oval?_ Elsa wondered to herself. She was standing in Anna's room with her eyes fixed resolutely on a circle in the pattern of the rug while Anna dug around in a pile of clothes for… something. At least Elsa thought that's what she was doing based on the random articles of clothing that kept flying through her peripheral vision. Her intense study of the circle was interrupted by something landing on her face. "What the…" she wondered aloud, carefully grabbing the cloth and holding it out at arm's length. She bit her lip to suppress a snicker, holding a pair of bloomers identical to the ones she and Anna used to find in their grandmother's dresser.

"Aha!" Anna cried triumphantly, standing up from the pile of clean, but unfolded, clothes in a pile outside of her already overstuffed closet. She held her favorite pair of green panties in her hand. Turning around, she saw Elsa holding her pair of winter bloomers. "Oh no. Oh no no no." She scrambled across the room, snatching the offending undergarments and hiding them behind her back. She chewed on her lip for a second while her sister just smirked at her. She huffed irritably, saying, "I wear them when it gets cold, okay? Not all of us are immune to the cold like you."

"Oh, really?" Elsa replied, lifting a hand and holding it in front of her mouth.

"Elsa," Anna tried to sound threatening, but it was ruined by the small step backward that she took. "Don't you dare."

"Don't what?" Elsa asked, feigning innocence. "Don't… do this?" She blew across her palm, sending a wave of cold air toward her sister. Anna yelped and jumped backward, flailing an arm in Elsa's direction.

"That's _not_ funny, Elsa!" Anna shrieked. She shivered as goosebumps rose on her arms and legs. She glared at Elsa, but the queen was too busy laughing to notice. Anna couldn't help but smile as well at hearing her sister's laughter, even if it was at her expense.

Elsa rode out the last of her laughter, smiling warmly at her sister. However, after a moment, she became painfully aware of a simple fact. Clearing her throat, she kept her gaze high and hoped her voice was steady as she said, "Um, Anna?"

"Yes?" Anna replied, worried about her sister's sudden change in demeanor. Elsa wasn't looking at her anymore, instead looking just above her. Anna ran a hand through her hair, but only felt a damp, flat mess. "Is… is everything okay?"

Elsa looked down briefly, focusing on Anna's face as best she could. "O-of course! You should really get dressed, though. We don't want the food to get cold."

Anna glanced down, belatedly realizing that she was still naked. She quickly covered herself and sprinted to her closet, muttering, "Oh… right. Sorry." Unfortunately, the mad dash gave Elsa an excellent view of her sister's shapely buttocks and lithe thighs as she retreated to the safety of the closet.

The next few minutes were torture for Elsa. She had never known Anna was such a fashion victim, and was forced to sit through half a dozen clothing changes and watch her sister perform what felt like a repeated striptease in between each one. She hadn't snapped yet, but the heat building between her legs was making her very much aware that 'ice queen' was just a nickname.

_Never thought I'd be using my gifts this way..._ She thought to herself as she cooled herself down a little whilst they made their way to the dining room. Unfortunately, Anna had taken advantage of Elsa's hand being clasped in front of her and linked arms with her sister, pressing up against her side. She had eventually settled on an airy dress that mixed vibrant reds with sombre brown tones creating a whole that accentuated each and every one of her curves. _As if it wasn't hard enough already._

* * *

Despite the extended fashion show in Anna's room, they still made good time and were only a little late for breakfast. Though, the wisps of steam still rising off of the porridge that had been laid out led Elsa to believe that Kai may have purposefully come to get them a little early, anticipating their delay in getting to the dining room.

"Elsa? Aren't you hungry?"

Elsa looked up from the porridge she had been mindlessly stirring. She was hungry, but was finding it hard to eat when every time she glanced over at her sister, Anna was leaning down and giving Elsa a clear view down the front of her dress. Elsa opened her mouth to respond, but quickly took a bite of food instead, not trusting her voice to be steady at the moment. Anna seemed satisfied and went back to her own food, reaching across the table to grab a biscuit. Elsa took another bite and cast about for a topic of conversation while the silence stretched between them. An image of Anna stomping across the castle courtyard flashed through her mind.

"Is everything alright, Anna?" Elsa asked. "You appeared rather cross when you came back to the castle this morning."

Anna nearly choked on her biscuit, coughing and sending small bits of it flying across the table. Once she could breathe again, she turned to her sister, who was fighting to hide a smirk. "How did— I mean, you— Wha—" She sputtered for a few seconds before she took a breath and asked, "You saw me?"

Elsa bit back her reply at the last second. Giving Anna the idea that she'd simply been watching her come home—hiding behind her doorframe, no less—seemed a bit… unnerving. "No," she ultimately said, "but several members of the staff mentioned that they saw you storming through the halls early this morning." She smiled when Anna blushed, embarrassed at having been caught. "I'm not upset," Elsa assured her sister, reaching across the table to lay a hand on top of Anna's. "I'm not mom, or dad. You're your own woman and you're allowed to do as you please, within reason. I just want to know if you're okay."

Anna smiled warmly and rolled her hand over to hold her sister's. "I'm fine, Elsa," she replied. "I was just…" She paused and chewed on her bottom lip, unsure of whether she wanted to burden her sister with her personal problems.

Elsa smiled and squeezed Anna's hand, saying, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. If you say you're okay, that's enough for me." She sat back and scooped a bite of porridge into her mouth. Afterward, she noticed that Anna still seemed to be fighting with herself over something, so she tried to change the subject. "How are things between you and Kristoff?"

"They're… fine, I guess," Anna muttered. She put her spoon down next to her bowl and slumped down in her chair, her appetite gone.

_Oops._ Elsa winced. She'd been trying to lighten her sister's mood, but had accidentally struck at the crux of whatever was bothering her. It was Elsa's turn to struggle with what to say. _You're her older sister! Comfort her!_ Seeing Anna so sad and defeated broke her heart. Elsa wanted nothing more than to hold her sister close and tell her that everything would be alright, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Instead, she settled for laying a hand on Anna's arm. "Again, you don't have to tell me. Just remember that I'm here for you if you want to talk."

Anna let out a sigh, but sat up a little bit. "Thanks, Elsa," she said, giving her sister a half-smile. She opened her mouth to keep talking, but was interrupted by a trio of quick raps at the door.

"Hold that thought," Elsa told her sister, winking before turning toward the door. "Yes, Kai?"

The door opened and Kai poked his head in, bowing. "Forgive the intrusion, your majesty, your highness," he said, "I only wished to remind you that your weekly session of open court is due to start in ten minutes."

"Of course. Thank you, Kai." Elsa nodded, but noticed Anna slump back down in her chair out of the corner of her eye. "Actually… Kai?" she called after the butler, who had begun to make his exit but stepped back through the doorway at her summons. "Please apologize to the petitioners for me and inform them that the start of open court is being pushed back by an hour."

"Of course, your majesty." Kai bowed, then retreated and closed the door.

"What was that about?" Anna asked. She watched with a raised eyebrow as her sister stood up from the table.

"I just thought you'd enjoy spending a little more time together before I have to attend open court," Elsa replied. She walked around the table and offered a hand to help Anna out of her chair. Once her sister was up, she held out an arm. "So, what do you want to do? Take a walk through the gardens? You could show me those ducklings that you told me about."

Anna took her sister's arm and laid her head on Elsa's shoulder. "That sounds like fun."


	2. Chapter 2

A Snowball's Chance in Hell

**Chapter Two**

Anna and Elsa made their way out to the castle gardens, and Elsa was glad to see her sister smiling again. She listened while Anna talked animatedly about some of the various trees in the gardens, recounting a number of the times that she had hidden from the castle staff when they were younger.

"Oh!" Anna tugged Elsa toward a tree full of mostly green leaves. "There's a family of squirrels in this one," she said, moving her head around to try and see the hole in which the squirrels lived. "You can… almost…" She gave up and let out and irritated huff, leaning against Elsa's side. "Well, you can't see it from here, but they live about halfway up. It's probably for the best. They're a little mean to new people."

"Mean?" Elsa asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister.

"Yeah," Anna responded, breaking into a small fit of giggles. "In fact, the first time I met them was because they were throwing acorns and bits of bark at me. It took a month before I could get close to their nest without them trying to scare me off. Then, when I tried to introduce them to Kristoff, they…" She trailed off into silence, her mirth disappearing. She leaned harder against Elsa's side.

Elsa bit her lower lip to stave off the obvious question. She'd promised not to press Anna if she didn't want to talk, after all. Yet, it was painfully obvious that her sister _wanted_ to talk about whatever was bothering her, but she simply wouldn't for some reason. Eventually, Elsa settled on a middle option. "Anna, I know I promised not to pry," she began, "but I just need you to answer one question… Are you _happy_ with Kristoff?"

"Yes," Anna answered weakly. After a few seconds, she followed it up with, "Maybe?" She sighed and stared at the grass at her feet, muttering, "I don't know."

Elsa guided them to a nearby bench and sat down. She wrapped her arm around Anna's shoulders and waited, letting her sister speak in her own time. Anna leaned against the queen, resting her head on Elsa's shoulder. Several times, she took a breath to let everything spill out, but she could never quite do it and only let out frustrated sighs instead.

Eventually, Elsa decided that getting Anna's mind off of whatever she was trying to say might help. "Hey," she said, giving her sister a light squeeze. "Do you want to see something I've been working on?" Anna nodded, but didn't lift her head from where it rested on Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa held out her free hand and snapped her fingers. A puff of ice crystals burst out, whirling and coalescing over her palm. Using a few precise movements, she pieced together her delicate creation. Soon, a crystalline butterfly landed in her palm, making a few experimental flaps of its wings before taking off into the air again.

Anna looked up and gasped when she saw the butterfly. "Oh, Elsa, it's gorgeous," she said. She held out a hand and it landed on the tip of her finger. She brought it closer and watched the light shimmer through it's wings. Without warning, she blurted out, "It's just not what I expected."

"Yes, well, it's still a work in progress," Elsa replied. She snapped her fingers again and started forming another butterfly. "I was initially trying for a bird, but the wing motion was just—"

"Oh, no! Not this," Anna cut across her sister's attempted explanation. It had taken her a moment to realize that Elsa thought she was talking about the butterfly. "No, this is…" A dozen words ran through her head. _Beautiful. Wonderful. Amazing. Incredible._ "Perfect." Elsa's heart skipped a beat at Anna's praise, and she lost control of the second creation, leaving it to evaporate into the autumn air. Luckily, Anna wasn't paying attention and missed the blush rising in Elsa's cheeks.

"I meant… me and Kristoff," Anna said. Now that some of it was out there, she was finding it harder to hold back. The words just came spilling out. "It's just not what I thought it would be. I thought it would be like what I felt for Hans before…" She drifted back into silence for a bit before continuing, "I thought it would be that same exhilarating rush. That terror of diving into something so unknown and scary, but it's okay because it's with _him_. I thought I'd be able to _know_ he feels that same way about me." Her voice dropped to a whisper and she added, "But it feels like he just wants to get under my skirt."

"_What?_" Elsa roared. She grabbed Anna and bodily turned her so they faced each other, sending the crystalline butterfly tumbling to the ground. She lifted Anna's chin with a hand and forced her sister to meet her steely gaze. "He hasn't forced himself on you, has he?" She asked. "If he's hurt you, so help me, I'll—"

Anna was frozen under her sister's ferocious gaze. The raw fury was a side of Elsa that she'd never seen. She was touched that Elsa was so quick to defend her, even if the queen was threatening several different kinds of bodily harm on Anna's boyfriend. Anna belatedly realized she had never answered her sister's initial question. "No," she said, bringing a hand up and cupping Elsa's cheek. "He's always stopped when I asked him to, but…" She drifted into silence again, unsure about discussing such an intimate subject with her sister. The silence stretched between them while Anna gathered the courage to speak again.

"It's just," she began, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I can tell he's… disappointed when I tell him to stop, and that he wants to go further. I just…" She let her hand fall from Elsa's cheek and looked off to the side.

"Anna." Elsa held her sister's face in both of her hands and forced Anna to meet her eyes again. The dejected look on Anna's face broke her heart, and she made a mental note to have Kai make sure the castle dungeon was ready for a guest, should the need arise. "There's _nothing_ wrong not being ready for… that." The reality of what she was discussing with her little sister hit her, and she felt the irony of her earlier statement. _So much for not being mom._ She refocused on Anna, who was looking at her expectantly.

"If he really does love you, he'll be willing to wait as long as it takes," she said. Her mouth twitched up into a smirk. "And if he's not, just say the word and it'll be straight into the dungeon." Anna burst into laughter, and Elsa let her hand fall away from her sister's face.

Once her laughter subsided, Anna leaned forward and gave her sister a quick kiss on the cheek, then pulled her into a hug. "Thanks, Elsa. I needed that."

Elsa returned the hug, but bit her lip against the feeling of Anna's breath ghosting across the back of her neck. She took a breath and gave her sister a squeeze, saying, "That what older sisters are for." They pulled apart, and a chill ran down Elsa's spine when she saw the mischievous look Anna was giving her.

"You seem to know an awful lot about love, Elsa." Anna grinned as her sister shifted uncomfortably. "I wonder… is there maybe someone that _you've_ got your eye on?"

"What? N-no!" Elsa stammered. She scooted away from Anna as best she could, but quickly reached the edge of the bench between her and the predatory grin her sister was giving her. She could feel her face heating up, and she knew she was blushing when Anna clapped her hands together.

"I knew it!" Anna squealed. She leaned forward and rested her chin on her hands. "Okay, who is he? Do I know him?"

"Enough, Anna." Elsa tried to infuse some authority into her voice, but it cracked at the end, ruining the effect. She tried to lean away from Anna, but her sister just matched her and leaned in closer.

"Oh, what about that one diplomat from the Southern Isles? What was his name? Magnus? Magnor?"

"Magner," Elsa corrected her. "I don't have anyone, Anna."

Anna plowed ahead, undeterred by her sister's continued denial. "What about that one guy that waited, what was it… three days to see you? Simon?"

"Simund," Elsa replied curtly. She stood up and started to walk away. "For the last time, Anna, there's no one."

"Oh, come on, Elsa," Anna chirped as she got up to follow her sister. "I saw the way you blushed. There's definitely _someone._ You can tell me. I promise that I won't tell anyone." She tried to grab Elsa's hand, but the queen yanked it away. Anna skipped around in front of Elsa, unphased. "Ooh! I bet it's that one French ambassador who sent you, like, a hundred roses. What was it, Francois?" She let out a fake dreamy sigh and pretended to swoon.

Elsa gritted her teeth, biting back several potential replies, including the urge to tell Anna the truth just to get her to stop making such ridiculous guesses. She took a deep breath before finally saying, "Anna, please. Just let it go." She saw her sister perk up in preparation of naming some other potential suitor, and she finally snapped. "I said that's _enough!_" She stomped a foot on the last word and pushed Anna away from her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have court to attend to. I will see you at dinner."

Anna could only watch her leave, shocked at the sudden outburst. Frost had formed on the grass in the spot where Elsa had been standing, and she had nearly rounded a corner and gone out of sight before Anna snapped out of her shock and went after her. "Elsa, wait!" she called. She nearly tripped over the hem of her dress in her haste to catch up to her sister. As soon as she got close, Anna lunged forward, throwing her arms around Elsa and held on as tightly as she could.

"Please, don't go, Elsa," she begged. She felt tears sting at her eyes as visions of Elsa locking herself away again flashed through her mind. "I-I'm sorry. I'll forget about it. Just… just don't shut me out again."

Elsa's frustration evaporated in an instant, replaced by a wave of self-loathing at having made Anna cry. She pulled at the arms wrapped around her chest, but Anna whimpered and held her tighter. "It's okay, Anna," she said, tugging on her sister's arm again. This time, Anna relaxed enough for Elsa to turn around and return the hug. Anna buried her face in Elsa's shoulder, and Elsa gave her sister a kiss on the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Anna nodded, nestling herself into the hug while the last of her panic abated. After a few deep breaths, she pulled back and wiped her eyes with a hand. "I'm sorry," she murmured, finally meeting her sister's eyes. "I just want you to be happy. If there's someone out there who can make you happy, you should go and get them." She squeezed one of Elsa's hands to emphasize her point.

The words put a lump in Elsa's throat, and she had to swallow to clear it. "Th-thank you, Anna," she replied. "I'll… keep that in mind. Now, I really do have to head to court, and after pushing it back an hour, I may not see you again until dinner. Sorry." She smiled apologetically.

"That's fine," Anna said, smiling back. "I'm used to entertaining myself." She gave her sister another quick hug before shooing Elsa back toward the castle. "Now go on. Have fun being Queen. I'll be fine." She gave a final parting wave to her sister before turning back to the nearby tree and wondering if she would be able to climb it in her dress.

* * *

_If there's someone out there who can make you happy, you should go and get them._

Anna's words echoed through Elsa's mind yet again, as they had dozens of times since she'd left her sister in the garden. She slumped against the back of the throne a bit, holding back a sigh. _If only it were that simple,_ she thought sadly. Realizing her attention had lapsed again, she refocused on the man currently rambling in the middle of the throne room.

Dagnar Petroff, an affluent businessman from the city, was currently standing before the throne and lobbying for the re-establishment of trade with Weselton. He was accompanied by a large graph that had far too many lines, leaving Elsa unable to make heads nor tails of it. Dagnar seemed to be focusing more on the graph than on the queen at the moment. Elsa motioned discreetly for Kai, though she suspected she could have burst into song and dance without Dagnar missing a beat.

"How long has he been going on?" Elsa asked once Kai reached her side.

The butler fished out a pocket watch and glanced at it before replying, "Just over half an hour, your majesty."

"Half an hour," Elsa repeated. She leaned forward and peered at the graph, trying to make something of the jumbled, criss-crossing lines. They remained an impregnable mess that the queen couldn't begin to decipher. Eventually, she gave up and leaned back in her throne again. All she could wonder was, "Why?"

"Mister Petroff owns the shipping company that carried virtually all of the goods moving between Arendelle and Weselton," Kai replied smoothly, obviously having anticipated the question. "Thirty percent of the net profits from all trade between them and us went directly into his pockets."

"Ah." Elsa shook her head. _I should have known money was involved_, she thought bitterly. Ever since she'd started involving herself in the day-to-day workings of the kingdom after her coronation, she'd learned that an astonishing number of seemingly innocent actions were motivated by the promise of money. Or sex. Sometimes both.

_Regardless, this farce has gone on long enough._ Elsa sat up straight and cleared her throat, but Dagnar plowed ahead, unperturbed by the queen's attempt to get his attention. She tried again, more loudly this time, but once again she went ignored. Resisting the urge to toss an ice slick at Dagnar's feet, she nodded to a guard at the base of the throne's dias. The guard lifted his spear and slammed the butt against the tiled floor three times, the thunderous cracks echoing around the throne room. Dagnar finally faltered in his soliloquy, shooting a glare at the guard before noticing the queen's frown.

"I appreciate the… effort you've put into your proposal, Mister Petroff," Elsa said, making sure her voice carried in the cavernous room. "However, as I'm sure you know, I have decreed that Arendelle will do no more business with Weselton following…" She paused. Only a select few people knew of the attempted assassination the Duke had ordered on her, and she didn't want it to become public knowledge. "—recent events."

"Of course, your majesty," Dagnar replied with an exaggerated bow. "I only have Arendelle's best interests at heart."

"And you assume _I_ do not?" Elsa replied coolly. She secretly enjoyed watching Dagnar squirm under her impassive gaze.

"O-of course not!" he stammered. "I-I merely— It's o-only— I d-didn't—" Eventually, he gave up trying to defend his statement and simply bowed again before turning on his heel and nearly sprinting out of the throne room, his precious graph completely forgotten.

Elsa finally allowed herself a smirk and leaned back in her throne. "How many more petitioners are there, Kai?" she asked, letting her eyes fall closed for a few seconds.

"Mister Petroff was the last one, your majesty."

_Finally._ Elsa let out a sigh and rubbed a hand against her temple. She spared one last look at the graph Dagnar had left behind, then turned to the window. Outside, the setting sun painted the sky a vibrant orange. "Kai," Elsa said, standing up. "Have the financial ledgers for the last three months brought to my chambers, along with the ones from the same months last year."

"Of course, your majesty." Kai bowed and set off to find the items the queen had requested.

"Oh, and one more thing," Elsa called after the butler before he ducked out of the throne room. "Have the chef send something to my chambers as well, please." Her stomach rumbled in agreement, reminding her that she'd missed dinner being served just before Dagnar began his long-winded ramblings.

Kai hesitated just shy of the door. He poked his head out of the room for a moment before coming back in. "Actually, your majesty…" He cleared his throat before continuing, "Princess Anna requested that we… wait for you before serving dinner."

"Wait?" Elsa looked at the butler in confusion. "You mean… she's…"

"Yes." Kai nodded. "She's still in the Eastern Dining Room, awaiting your arrival."

_Of course she is._ Elsa ran a hand through her hair and blew out a breath. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep her waiting, then," she said, heading down the stairs. She strode through the doors out of the throne room and quickly made her way over to the Eastern Dining Room. Her feet carried her automatically while her mind whirled with requests, complaints, reports, and rare expressions of gratitude that had come through the throne room during the day. A few minutes later, she unexpectedly found herself in front of the door to her bedroom, rather than the dining room. She huffed irritably and turned to leave, but paused at the last second.

"Actually, while I'm here…" She pushed the door open and walked inside. A stack of books on her desk that hadn't been there that morning caught her eye. She lifted the cover of the top one to see what it was, her eyebrows rising when she saw it was one of the financial ledgers she'd asked for mere minutes ago. _I don't know how Kai does it. It's like he knows what I want before I do._

Heading into her closet, she kicked off the somewhat painful, but admittedly attractive, heels that she'd donned for open court, opting instead for a pair of much more comfortable flats, even if the color didn't quite go with her dress.

* * *

"Come on, it's okay," Anna whispered, extending her hand. "It's tasty. Go on, take it." She held her hand out a little further, laying it on the table. The squirrel she'd smuggled into the dining room took a few tiny steps closer to her hand, pausing to watch her face after each one. Once it was sure she wasn't going to snatch it up and eat it, it grabbed a cashew from her hand and scampered a few feet away before hastily chomping away at it. Anna giggled and tossed a cashew into her own mouth, her stomach rumbling to remind her that the few nuts she was sharing weren't a substitute for an actual meal.

The door opened and Elsa walked in, already partway through an apology. "—that I'm so late. I didn't think you'd wait for…" She trailed off when she saw the squirrel sitting in the middle of the table. "Anna, why is there a squirrel on the table?"

"It followed me home. Can we keep it?" Anna replied enthusiastically. She giggled when her sister fixed her with a deadpan stare. "I'm just kidding." She stuck out her tongue playfully before explaining, "He's one of the squirrels that lives in that tree I showed you. I was trying to climb up to see them, but couldn't make it because of my skirt. He came down to see me and kind of… followed me around for the day."

Elsa could only stare at her sister as she sat down. "You spent the day… with a squirrel?" she asked.

Anna shrugged, unable to see the oddity of the idea. She laid her hand on the table, smiling when the squirrel scampered over and climbed up in her hand to get the last cashew. She brought her other hand over and ran a finger along its back while it ate. "You were busy and there really aren't a lot of people our age in the city, believe it or not." Unfortunately, the door opened again as a pair of servants entered, sending the squirrel sprinting for an open window along the far wall. The servants placed bowls of soup on the table before retreating again.

"Well, I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long," Elsa said. She stirred her soup for a bit—tomato, Anna's favorite—and took a sip. It was warm, but it had obviously been left on the stove a little too long to keep it that way with how late Elsa had run. Regardless, it still tasted good. "You didn't have to wait for me, you know." She glanced at Anna, who was looking up at her in surprise. "You could have eaten without me, while everything was hot and fresh."

"And leave you to eat cold, stale food all by yourself?" Anna shot back. "That doesn't sound very nice." She paused to take a bite of her soup, sighing as the flavors played across her tongue. She reached toward the middle of the table and grabbed a handful of croutons, sprinkling them over her bowl. "Besides, I like getting to spend time with you." She smiled at her sister before asking, "So, how was court?"

Elsa let out a weary sigh, replying with a simple, "Long." She looked out of the window, where the final rays of sunlight were giving way to the night. "I wish there was a way that I could do it without it taking the entire day. Kai has suggested having court two days a week in the past. I think it might be a good idea."

"Two days a week?" Anna repeated, her expression falling. "You mean, there would be two days a week I barely get to see you?"

"Of course not," Elsa replied, reaching over to hold her sister's hand. "It would be the same amount of time, just spread over two days. I could hold court in the morning like today, then be free by the afternoon… hopefully."

"Oh." Anna gave a half-smile, rubbing small circles on the back of Elsa's hand with her thumb. "Well, that wouldn't be too bad, I guess." She gave Elsa's hand a squeeze and they both went back to their soup.

Elsa's mind drifted back to some of the various petitioners who had presented themselves to her, trying not to dwell on Dagnar's long-winded monologue. She was idly stirring the last dregs of her soup when Anna's laughter broke into her thoughts. She turned to her sister, who was trying to hide her giggles behind a hand over her mouth. "What's so funny?"

"You have some soup on your face, _your majesty_," Anna managed to get out between giggles.

Elsa wiped a hand along her mouth, coming away with a trail of soup along her finger. She glared playfully at Anna, who only laughed harder, then whipped her hand out. The soup flew off of her finger and sailed across the table, landing on her sister's arm. She couldn't help but smirk when Anna looked up at her in shock.

"Hey!" Anna shrieked. She wiped up the soup with her napkin, her lips pursed. She grabbed a crouton from the bowl and threw it at her sister. It sailed through the air, and Elsa tried to bat it away but missed, letting it bounce off of her cheek.

"Ah. How dare you!" Elsa said in faux-shock. She brought a hand to her face then pulled it away, as if checking for blood. "Assaulting the queen is _treason!_" She put on her best haughty expression, struggling to keep herself from smiling. She waved dismissively, saying, "Guards, take her away."

"Never! Your reign of terror is over, Queen Elsa." Anna grabbed the bowl of croutons and began tossing them at her sister. "The will of the people will he heard. Long live Queen Anna!" She grunted as Elsa started casually knocking the projectiles aside, so she flipped the bowl forward and sent all of the remaining croutons at the queen.

Elsa let out a yelp and cowered back while the crunchy missiles peppered her hair and shoulders. When the barrage was over, she sat up and picked out the few croutons still stuck to her. She fixed her sister with a determined look. "It seems you've made a crucial mistake, _Queen_ Anna," she said coolly. "You seem to have exhausted your entire store of ammunition. Meanwhile, _I_—" She snapped her fingers, and a small snowball formed in her hand. "—still have plenty."

"Elsa, wait," Anna pleaded, holding up a hand. "We can resolve this peacefully."

"You should have thought of that before starting your little revolution," Elsa replied. She lobbed the snowball in Anna's direction, chuckling to herself when her sister cringed and shielded her face. At the last second, Elsa waved her hand and the snowball disintegrated just before it would have hit Anna. She opened her mouth to let the rebellious princess know that she had decided to show mercy, but the door opening pre-empted her. Servants entered and quickly placed a large platter stacked high with carved ham, swapping out the girls' empty soup bowls for clean dinner plates before retreating as swiftly as they'd arrived.

Once they were alone again, Elsa glanced at her sister, who was piling slices of ham onto her plate. "I trust we're back to a peaceful coexistence, or should I be on the lookout for flying pigs?" she asked. Anna giggled and grabbed a piece of ham, waving it around like a bird, complete with oinking noises. Elsa burst out laughing at the sight, spewing partially chewed bits of food into a hastily raised hand. "Stop that, Anna," she chided her sister. However, the stream of chuckles still flowing from her ruined any severity her admonition carried.

Outside, the bells of the city clock tower rang, announcing one final new hour before they fell silent for the night. Elsa looked out of the window into the night, her shoulders slumping. "Nine already?" she moaned. Exhaling sharply, she pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. "I'm sorry, Anna, but there's some work I need to get done tonight, and I need to get started on it now if I want to have a chance of being done before midnight."

"Oh, well… okay," Anna mumbled. She poked at a bit of ham while Elsa stepped away from the table. "Elsa, wait," she called as her sister neared the door to the hallway. She grabbed a handful of ham from the platter and dropped it on Elsa's forgotten plate, then stood and brought it to her sister. "Here. If you're going to be working, you can't just have a bowl of soup for dinner." She laid a hand on her sister's shoulder and offered her the plate.

Elsa looked down at the hastily plated meal and smiled. It didn't look particularly appetizing, but Anna was right. She needed to eat, especially if she was potentially going to be poring over dry, boring numbers until the early hours of the morning. Elsa took the plate and turned her head to give her sister a word of thanks, but never got the chance. At the same time, Anna stretched up to kiss Elsa on the cheek, but the turn of Elsa's head brought their lips together.

Time stopped for Elsa. Nothing mattered beyond the simple fact that Anna's lips were currently pressed against her own. She didn't know how or why it had happened, and frankly she didn't care. But even though the one thing she'd been dreaming of for weeks was finally happening, she was torn. Part of her wanted to pull Anna to her, to feel every delicious curve of Anna's body pressed to hers. Some small part of her held back, though. She knew that this wasn't what Anna had meant to do. It was just a blissful accident.

The kiss was over as abruptly as it began. Anna pulled back and brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "Oh, sorry," she mumbled, blood racing to her cheeks. She giggled and dropped her hand, smiling warmly. "You moved on me."

Elsa could only stare dumbly, her mind not yet back to a functional state. She shook herself and cleared her throat. "Sorry," she said. She could feel her own cheeks heating up, and she grasped blindly for the door handle, finding it on the third try. "Well, um, th-thank you for the food. I'll… see you in the morning."

"Don't work too hard, Elsa," Anna replied. She pulled her sister into a quick hug. "Even the Queen is allowed to take time off."

"Thanks, Anna." Elsa returned the hug with her free arm, taking care not to spill her plate. "I'll keep that in mind," she said before heading back to her room.

Several hours and several wine refills by Kai later, Elsa was well and truly stuck… and just a bit tipsy. Her head hurt, her shoulders were tense, and all she could think about anymore was numbers. Military expenses, tax code bylaws, and national budgets. All of them parading around her head in a neat conga line. With a sigh, she flipped through the pages of the ledger again, noting that the numbers were starting to dance at the edges of her vision. With a heavy sigh, she flipped back to the first page of the book, certain that _this time_ she would be able to figure it all out.

* * *

The following morning, Elsa awoke groggily with a massive crick in her neck. She sat up and stretched, letting out a sigh when her neck popped loudly. She looked around her familiar, yet somehow foreign, surroundings for a few moments before realizing that she'd fallen asleep at her desk. She rubbed her eyes before looking down at the ledger that she'd pressed into service as a pillow. Despite being up well past midnight, she'd barely made it halfway through the book of dense numbers. She flipped a few pages ahead, barely paying attention to the numbers that she still couldn't make any real meaning of anyway.

Thankfully, a quick trio of knocks on the door pulled her attention away from the sea of numbers. "Yes, Kai?" she said wearily.

"Breakfast is ready in the Eastern Dining Room, your majesty," Kai's muffled response came through the door.

"Of course it is," Elsa mumbled to herself. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing as numbers continued to float behind her eyelids. "Thank you, Kai. I'll be along shortly." She stood up, groaning when her knees protested after spending the entire night bent. Running a hand through her hair, she felt one side matted down while the other was sticking up at all sorts of different angles. Her eyes drifted over to the door leading to her bathroom, but the work involved in drawing herself a bath sounded wholly unappealing at the moment.

_Oh, screw it_, she thought with a wry smile. She snapped her fingers, covering her hands in a layer of frost. Thawing them just to the point of melting, she ran her now wet hands through her hair again, slicking it back into something she hoped looked at least half-presentable. Satisfied with her level of preparation, she pulled the door open and headed for the Eastern Dining Room, pausing only to speak with a servant and request a proper bath for later. When she reached the dining room, she threw the door open without breaking stride.

"Morning, Elsa," Anna chirped, entirely too cheery for how early in the morning it was. "You look…" She trailed off as she took in her sister's appearance. Elsa was wearing the same dress as last night, and her hair was matted down on one side. "Terrible."

Elsa flopped down in her chair and looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow. "Good morning to you, too," she droned.

"Sorry," Anna replied. She smiled sheepishly and picked up her cup of coffee, draining the last bit of liquid. She watched as the queen slumped back in her chair, rubbing her hands over her eyes and yawning. "Rough night?" she asked.

Elsa shook her head and sighed. "I've made a huge mistake," she said. "I was trying to go over some of the kingdom's finances last night, but none of it makes any sense to me. It's all just piles of numbers and letters." She grabbed her own cup of coffee and threw it back, drinking down the entire thing in a few quick gulps. Thankfully, Kai had already prepared it to her liking, but she was so tired she would have drank it black if she'd needed to. She put the cup down, smiling when when saw a second full cup next to the first one.

"Do you want any help?" Anna asked.

Elsa looked up at her sister in surprise. "Help?" she repeated. She shook her head, waving away Anna's offer. "You really don't have to do that, Anna. I'll… figure it out eventually."

"Oh, come on, Elsa," Anna shot back. "It couldn't _hurt_ to have me look at them, could it? Besides, it might help to have a fresh pair of eyes look at it." She went back to her breakfast, scooping up a forkful of eggs and popping them into her mouth.

"Well, if you really want to, I won't stop you." Elsa shrugged and turned to her own plate of food. The cooks had once again outdone themselves and every single thing looked as appetizing as the next. Though, pheasant wasn't really to her tastes, so she settled for just a few scrambled eggs, like the ones her sister was devouring, and some fresh fruit.

"Elsa?"

The queen looked up, having just put a piece of pineapple in her mouth. She could tell Anna wanted to say something, but her sister was hesitating and toying with her napkin. Elsa hastily chewed and swallowed her food before replying, "Yes, Anna?"

"Can I… ask you something?" Anna mumbled, keeping her eyes fixed on her plate.

Elsa raised an eyebrow. She'd never known her sister to be shy about speaking her mind, regardless of the subject. She waited a few more seconds to see of Anna would speak up on her own, but the silence just stretched on. Elsa reached across the table and laid a hand on Anna's arm, saying, "Anna, you know you can talk to me about anything. What's on your mind?"

"It's about… Kristoff," Anna said finally. Her boyfriend's name was like a crack in the dam, and words began spilling out. "I mean, I don't want to drag you into our problems, but I just can't figure out what to do. He just keeps pushing for… sex." The last word was barely a whisper, as if she was afraid someone would scold her for even discussing the subject. "It just… it feels like maybe he doesn't really care about _me_, just about _that_." She pushed some eggs around her plate with a fork. "Do… do you think I should break up with him?"

Elsa carefully kept her face passive. She'd always only wanted Anna to be happy, even if there was a small, unspoken caveat that she wanted Anna to be happy _with her_. Still, up until last night, she'd thought that Anna was happy with Kristoff, so she was willing to tolerate the relationship. But now she knew better, and Anna had presented the perfect solution to her on a silver platter. She could end Anna and Kristoff's relationship with one word.

_But why?_ she wondered. _What would it do other than break her heart? And so soon after Hans._ Elsa closed her eyes for a moment as the familiar wave of self-loathing washed over her. _You can't make her happy, not like that. You'd hurt her for nothing._ She opened her eyes and smiled at Anna, who was looking back at her expectantly. "I think that dumping him might be a little… rash," she said, choosing her words carefully. "Kristoff is just… excited about exploring new aspects of your relationship together."

Anna's brow furrowed while she pondered her sister's words. She chewed on her lower lip for a while before asking, "Do… do you think I'm making too big of a deal of this?"

Elsa froze. _Shit. She's actually thinking about doing it._ She weighed her response carefully before responding, "Only you can decide that." She smiled as her sister gave her a deadpan look. "I'm sorry for the cliché answer, Anna, but it's true. It's a big and important decision in any relationship, and one that you _both_ need to be comfortable with." She reached across the table and grabbed one of Anna's hands when her sister's eyes dropped to stare at her lap. "And if he cares about you, he'll listen when you tell him that you want to take it slow."

Anna looked up and gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Elsa," she said quietly, squeezing her sister's hand. She took a deep breath and blew it out in a rush. "Well, do you want to go look at those books, now?" she asked, smiling bigger.

Elsa glanced down at her plate of barely touched food. She hadn't eaten much, but she found that her appetite had disappeared. Pushing her chair back from the table, she stood up and held a hand out to her sister. "Let's." Anna took her hand and jumped up, nearly running out the door and dragging the queen behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

A Snowball's Chance in Hell

**Chapter Three**

Elsa trailed behind Anna, who had thankfully slowed to a brisk walk, on the way to the former's room. However, just as Anna reached for the handle, the door opened from the other side. The servant leaving the room froze when he saw them, then quickly moved to the side and bowed.

"My apologies, your majesty, your highness," he said. He rose from his bow and motioned toward the queen's personal bathroom. "We've just finished preparing your majesty's bath. I hope that you will find it to your liking."

_Damnit_, Elsa silently cursed herself for forgetting about her bath before inviting Anna back to her room. "Thank you, but I'm afraid it won't be necessary anymore. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

"It's okay, Elsa," Anna said, nudging her sister with a shoulder. "You can take a bath. You look like you could use one." She blanched when she realized what she'd said. "N-not that you look dirty or anything, j-just that you seem tired and tense. A nice warm bath might help." She looked down and wrung her hands together. "I-I wasn't… I didn't…"

Elsa couldn't help but chuckle while she watched her sister stammer. _She's so cute when she thinks she's said something upsetting._ "It's fine, Anna," she said. She reached over and grabbed one of her sister's hands, giving it a quick squeeze. "I know what you meant. And you're probably right." She started forward into her room, pausing to address the waiting servant. "Thank you. That will be all."

Elsa continued into her room, but stopped when she heard Anna close the door behind herself. The obvious next step was for her to undress before heading into the bathroom, but her recently developed feelings for Anna made the prospect of that simultaneously terrifying and slightly thrilling. Though, the half a dozen near-stripteases Anna had put her through the previous day had shown her that Anna had no qualms about nudity between them, which meant that she couldn't let it stop her, either. Taking a deep breath, she reached back for her zipper, only to have it elude her grasp. She tried again, making several very unladylike noises in her attempts to reach it.

"Here," Anna said between giggles. "Let me help you with that." She grabbed the zipper and pulled it down a few inches until her sister could reach it easily. Her work done, she meandered over to Elsa's desk, casually glancing at the ledger the queen had used as a pillow the previous night. She heard Elsa's zipper travel the rest of the way down her dress and moved her gaze to look out the window, trying to give her sister some small semblance of privacy.

However, Anna's curiosity eventually won out, and she took a peek back toward the bed. She caught the tail end of Elsa sliding off her panties before hurrying into the bathroom. Anna sighed and went back to looking out the window. _Of course she somehow manages to look elegant scurrying naked into the bathroom,_ she thought. She'd never admit it out loud, but Anna was supremely jealous of her sister. Elsa was just so poised. She never stammered or floundered for her words, and she possessed a thoughtless grace that infused her every movement. Anna knew that she would never be able to match Elsa's dignified air, but she had long ago come to terms with that, even if jealousy did rear its ugly green head from time to time.

Turning around and leaning against the windowsill, Anna searched for something to take her mind off of her jealousy. Her eyes fell on Elsa's discarded dress from the previous day, then jumped over to Elsa's closet. _Let's find something for her to wear._ She made her way over to the closet and pulled the door open. No matter how many times she saw it, the sheer size of Elsa's closet always shocked her. Even more shocking, though, was Elsa's lack of imagination when it came to dresses. True, the massive walls were lined with lovely dresses, but only a small handful were any color that wasn't a light pastel blue or purple. Anna grabbed two dresses from the sea of sky blue dresses and held them up next to one another. After nearly a minute of scrutinizing, the only difference she could spot between them was that the hem of the skirt _might_ be about a quarter-inch longer on the left one.

Letting out a defeated sigh, she put the dresses back and started walking along the endless row of pastel colors. _Blue. Blue. Purple. Blue. Purple. Ooh, pink. Really stepping out of your comfort zone, Elsa._ She turned when she reached the back of the closet and froze in her tracks. In front of her was a dress form modelling stunning black dress that she'd never seen before. Though, calling it a _dress_ might have been a bit of a stretch with how little material there actually was. "Whoa," she breathed, taking a few cautious steps forward. She was about to reach out and touch it when she heard Elsa's voice drift in from the bedroom.

"Anna? Where'd you go?"

"I'm in here," she called back, her eyes never leaving the dress. It was gorgeous almost beyond words, but she'd never seen Elsa wear it. _There's probably a reason for that,_ she mused while her gaze travelled down the scandalously deep neckline. A devious smile danced across her lips when she heard her sister's soft steps approaching. "I found something for you to wear today," she said. She stepped aside and turned around, presenting the dress to her sister.

Elsa blanched when she saw the dress. She clutched the towel wrapped around her while a million thoughts raced through her head. She searched for something to say, but all capability of speech had fled her. It was all she could do to stand there gaping like a fish out of water at the notion of wearing that dress in front of Anna. She briefly entertained the idea of retreating back to the relative safety of her bathroom until she saw Anna trying desperately to suppress her laughter. Relief washed over her, followed swiftly by annoyance at having fallen for yet another of Anna's pranks.

"Anna, you're incorrigible," she said, glaring playfully at her sister. Anna stuck her tongue out, and Elsa returned the gesture. Afterward, the queen turned back to the row of dresses along the wall. She grabbed her trusty 'ice dress' and headed back out to the bedroom. Once she carefully laid her dress on the bed, she glanced back at the closet to see if her sister had emerged yet. Anna had lingered behind, so Elsa took the opportunity to drop her towel and quickly pull on her panties.

"Where did you even _get_ this dress?" Anna asked, her voice carrying out from the closet.

Elsa jumped a bit and brought her hands up to cover herself. She relaxed when she realized that her sister hadn't snuck up behind her. She quickly grabbed her bra from the bed and started hooking it behind her back. After a moment, she belatedly realized that Anna was still waiting for an answer from her. "A while ago," she called back. "A few days after I donated most of my old dresses and ordered the new ones, a seamstress from…" She trailed off, wracking her mind for the seamstress' home. Unfortunately, she had still been overwhelmed by all of her new responsibilities as queen when the seamstress had arrived and presented the dress to her. The woman's home had simply been one of the many pieces of information that fell through the cracks while Elsa struggled to adjust to her new life.

"I… can't quite remember," she finally continued. "It was a small kingdom to the… east, I think. Anyway, she showed up to my second day of open court and presented it to me." Elsa smiled as she remembered snippets of the encounter. "She adamantly refused any sort of payment, saying that the opportunity to design for royalty was payment enough." She grabbed her dress from the bed and stepped into it, pulling the skirt up over her hips.

"How come you've never worn it?" Anna asked, finally emerging from the closet.

A laugh burst out from Elsa before she could stop it, and she looked back over her shoulder at her sister. "Really, Anna?" she asked while she carefully maneuvered her arms through the delicate sleeves of her dress. "Can you imagine the scandal it would cause if I showed up to a royal function wearing _that?_ Perhaps if I wanted to give the Duke of Weselton a heart attack…" She reached back to pull up the zipper, but froze when she felt something brush the small of her back.

"Here. Let me get that for you," Anna said. She grabbed the zipper and slowly pulled it up, careful to avoid pinching Elsa's skin in the process. "Still, I'd like to see you wear it sometime," she continued, oblivious to her sister's shock. "I bet you look amazing in it. I'm sure that I'd still find a way to be clumsy and awkward in an amazing dress like that." She chuckled to herself before adding, "I doubt a skirt that short would leave much to the imagination if you fell down."

Elsa couldn't respond. She was too busy trying to get her mind back to a functioning state, a task made monumentally harder by the images of Anna wearing the dress flashing through it. "I… I'm sure you would look stunning in it, Anna," she finally managed to say.

"Aw, thanks," Anna replied, wrapping her sister in a quick hug. Afterward, she gently pushed Elsa over toward the desk. "Alright, let's hit the books."

Elsa was momentarily confused before remembering the original reason they'd come to her room in the first place. "Books. Right," she muttered. She sat down at the desk and pulled the open book in front of her, only just now noticing that some of the numbers were smudged from her sleeping on it. Quickly flipping back toward the beginning of the book, she let out a sigh; the numbers were just as enigmatic and impenetrable as they'd been the previous night.

Anna leaned down and crossed her arms, resting her forearms along the back of the chair and letting her lean over Elsa's shoulder. "Alright, well… what part are you having trouble with?" she asked.

Elsa barely heard her sister's question. Her mind was currently focusing solely on the fact that she could feel Anna's breasts pressing into her back. She briefly closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. _Focus, Elsa,_ she told herself. _You're acting like some hormone-riddled teenager. Like Kristoff._ The comparison was a frightening one, but it put a very effective damper on her mind's less than savory thoughts.

"All of it," she finally blurted out, waving a hand at the ledger. "None of it makes any sort of sense to me." She picked a pair of columns and moved her finger back and forth between them. "Like this. Gross Domestic Product. Gross National Product. Domestic and National. They seem like they should be the same, so why are they different?"

Anna giggled and rested her head against Elsa's. "Oh Elsa," she sighed. "Didn't those tutors daddy got us teach you anything?"

"Yes," Elsa shot back. She crossed her arms and huffed, irritated both at her own incompetence and the fact that Anna was there to witness it first-hand. "I was just… never good at math, or science for that matter." She uncrossed her arms and idly traced a few numbers with a finger. "I was always more partial to the arts, especially literature."

"Ah." Anna stood up just a bit, wrapping one arm around Elsa's shoulders and extended her other one. "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the… sun?"

Elsa chuckled at her sister's overly dramatic recitation. "I've always been more partial to Hamlet, myself," she said. "To be, or not to be, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and, by opposing, end them."

Anna gave her sister a quick hug, then stood up. She came around the side of Elsa's chair and sat on the edge of the desk. "Well, lucky for you then that I _was_ partial to math," she said, a smirk pulling at the edge of her mouth. She tapped the first column Elsa had pointed to. "_Domestic _Product is defined geographically, while _National_ Product—" Her finger hopped over to the second column. "—is based off of… ownership, essentially." She giggled as Elsa just stared at her blankly.

"Okay, think of it this way…" Anna gestured out the window. "You know that quaint little bookstore on the edge of the city, next to the gates? Oh, what's it called again?"

"_Librairie Flammarion_," Elsa offered.

"Yes, that one. Well, since the store is physically located here in Arendelle, any revenue they generate through the year is counted as part of Arendelle's Gross _Domestic_ Product." Anna tapped the first column again. "However, since the store is _owned_ by a French parent company, those revenues would count towards _France's_ Gross National Product, not ours." She waved a hand at the window again, motioning over the fjord. "By the same token, any businesses in other countries owned by Arendelle would have their revenues count toward _our_ GNP, but the _foreign_ country's GDP."

Once again, Elsa could only stare at her sister. She'd never heard Anna speak about a subject with such knowledge and confidence. A number of subjects had filled her sister with passion while she rambled on about them—horseback riding primary among them—but none of them had made her look so self-assured. "That… actually makes a lot of sense," she said. She turned back to the ledger, and while it was still an indecipherable mess, there was a glimmer of hope that she might be able to make sense of it at some point. She flipped forward a few pages, searching for anything that might make sense now. Sadly, her brief quest for understanding once again ended fruitlessly.

"See? It's not that…" Anna trailed off. Her eyes moved back and forth between several numbers on the new page. She ran some quick calculations in her head, pursing her lips when the numbers didn't add up. "That's not…"

"Anna, what is it?" Elsa asked, glancing back and forth between her sister and the ledger.

In lieu of an answer, Anna pulled the book in front of her and grabbed a pencil. She started scribbling numbers in the margin, double checking her math on paper just to be sure. Sure enough, the numbers still didn't add up. She ran a finger along the offending row of numbers, tracing it back to its source. "PSI," she mumbled. "What is that?" Grabbing handfuls of pages at once, she quickly flipped to the back of the book.

"Anna, what's going on?" Elsa asked again, her uneasiness growing. She briefly contemplated trying to pull the ledger away from her sister to force an answer, but the determination in Anna's every move stayed her hand.

"Something's off," Anna finally replied. "The numbers don't add up for… whatever this 'PSI' is." She finally found an index listing all of the abbreviations. "PSI… PSI… Here it is. 'Petroff Shipping Industries.'"

"Petroff?" Elsa leaned forward and looked at the book. "What about him?"

"His company, technically, I suppose," Anna corrected her. She flipped back to the page she had started on, having kept her place with a finger, and circled several numbers in rapid succession. "Look." She shoved the ledger back in front of Elsa, tapping the first number with the tip of the pencil. "Last year, PSI made just over _one-point-three million_ kronor in revenue, while having costs—" The pencil jumped to the second circled number. "—of a bit under _eight hundred thousand_. Simple math. They made five hundred thousand in profit, _but_—" The pencil jumped again. "—their reported profit for tax purposes was only _three hundred and fifty thousand_ kronor_._" Anna tapped the pencil against the page firmly, causing little bits of graphite to break off.

Elsa stared at the numbers. Even without Anna's help, she knew something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was. "So… where's the rest of it?"

"Elsa…" Anna shook her head slightly, as if she couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her own mouth. "A hundred and fifty _thousand_ kronor are just… _gone._"

The confusion clouding Elsa's mind melted away, replaced by a cold and calculated frown. She stood and strode to the door, pulling it open with the intent of calling for Kai. The words died in her throat when she found him waiting next to the door. "Kai, please send a messenger to Mister Petroff's estate, requesting his presence at his _earliest convenience._" Her tone and emphasis on the last two words left no doubt about how quickly she expected Dagnar to present himself. "And summon the Economic Advisor to the throne room. Eriksson, I believe."

"At once, your majesty," Kai replied, bowing. "I'll send the messenger to Mister Petroff with an extra horse, should he _happen_ to be ready right away."

"Thank you, Kai," Elsa said, a smile tugging at her lips. "Anna and I would be truly lost without you." The butler merely bowed again and set off to fulfill his appointed tasks. Elsa closed the door and made her way back over to the desk, where Anna was still poring over the ledger. "I'll take care of this, Anna," she assured her sister. She grabbed the book and flipped it closed. "You go do something fun."

"Are you sure?" Anna asked. "I'm sure I could—"

"You've done more than enough, Anna," Elsa replied, cutting across her sister's words. She wrapped an arm around Anna's shoulders, tucking the ledger under her free arm. She gently guided her sister toward the door, giving her a side hug at the same time. "You found this, and now I'll deal with it." She let out a small sigh. "Besides, I'm sure it will turn into a protracted affair full of half-truths and doublespeak. I'd hate to subject you to that." She pulled the bedroom door open and nudged Anna forward. "Now, I need to finish getting ready before I head down to the throne room."

Anna took a few steps out of the room before turning and looking back at her sister. "Well, if you're sure…" she said quietly. Elsa smiled and made a little shooing gesture with her hand, so Anna started walking down the hall. She didn't know where she was headed, so she figured that she couldn't be going the 'wrong' way no matter where she went.

While she walked, she pondered the various things she could do to occupy herself. The only idea that leapt readily to her mind was going to see Kristoff, but that particular activity didn't sound very appealing as of late. She passed in front of the massive double doors leading into the throne room and stopped. She placed a hand on the door, and rapped her fingers against the wood. Carefully pushing the door open just a bit, she peeked inside and found the room empty. She briefly entertained the idea of hiding in one of the side alcoves and listening in on Elsa's dealings with this Petroff character. However, sitting in on the meeting uninvited, and hidden behind a set of drapes to boot, felt a little… stalker-y.

Anna pulled the door closed again and sighed. She continued her meandering walk through the castle, passing the occasional servant who hurriedly ducked out of her way. Eventually, she reached the library and went inside. Years of solitude had cultivated a love of reading in Anna, and while the castle staff had done their best to keep her supplied with fresh reading material, sometimes they just couldn't keep up with Anna's voracious appetite.

The princess ran a hand along one of the shelves, noting a few new titles that had arrived since her last visit. Unfortunately, a quick glance out the window revealed a day far too beautiful to spend cooped up inside. Anna let out a frustrated sigh and started the trek out to the front gates. As she passed through the grand front doors of the castle, Elsa's words from breakfast echoed through her mind.

_If he cares about you, he'll listen when you tell him that you want to take it slow._

* * *

When Elsa strode into the throne room, she was unsurprised to see Peter Eriksson, the Royal Economic Advisor, already waiting for her. "Mister Eriksson," she said, forcing a bit of levity and casualness into her voice. "Just the man I was looking for."

"I live to serve, your majesty," he said, his voice raspy. Eriksson gave a slight, jerky bow. He was an elderly man who had served King Alexander for many years before the late king's untimely death and had overseen Arendelle's finances until Elsa's coronation.

"Yes, well I was hoping that you could help me with something," Elsa replied. She grabbed the ledger out from under her arm and opened it to the page Anna had found the problematic numbers on. She handed the book to Peter, asking, "Do you see anything wrong here?"

Peter took the book and squinted at it. Mumbling to himself, he plunged a hand into his jacket and pulled out a beat-up pair of spectacles. After balancing them precariously on his nose, he went back to looking over the ledger. His expression on curiosity quickly gave way to one of abject confusion. "I don't…" he murmured, trailing off while he flipped to another page. "How is this…"

"Mister Eriksson?" Elsa prompted. She watched Peter carefully. The old man was either truly unaware of what had happened, or he was a terrific actor.

"I-I'm sorry, my queen," Peter replied, bowing just enough to cause his spectacles to tumble off of his nose and onto the ledger. He quickly scooped them up and held them in place while he continued to scan the numbers. "I just… I've no idea what's happened. Or how, for that matter."

"Do you not oversee all of the tax collections in Arendelle?" Elsa asked. "Should you not have seen these numbers at some point before today?" She waited patiently while the old man stumbled through an answer.

"W-well, yes, of course. But, you see, I… It's simply that…" Peter let out a weary sigh and put away his spectacles. "My deepest apologies, your majesty, but I'm afraid that my age has caught up with me these past few years." At the queen's raised eyebrow, he continued, "I have been delegating some of my duties to my assistants." He shook his head and stared at the ledger. "Curse my feeble mind. I should have known."

"Known what?" Elsa asked.

"Henrik, one of my assistants, was adamant about me letting him oversee the tax numbers for the various businesses and shops in the Commerce District," Peter said. "After months of pestering, I relented, on the condition that I would go through and look over his work." He sighed again, then looked at the queen apologetically. "Unfortunately, I may not have been as thorough as I should have. Tax season is always exceptionally busy, what with many citizens and businesses waiting until the last moment to pay them." He shrugged helplessly. "Sometimes things fall through the cracks."

"It must be a very large crack for hundreds of thousands of kronor to fall through," Elsa replied flatly. The more she listened to Peter, the more she began to think that he may truly not have known about the missing money. "Who is this Henrik?" she asked.

"My assistant, as I said. Henrik…" Peter snapped his fingers, trying to remember something. "Henrik… Oh, bloody hell. What's his name? Ah, Petroff! Henrik Petroff, son of—"

"Dagnar," Elsa finished for him, putting a hand to her face and letting out a deep sigh. Any lingering suspicion she'd had of Peter's involvement vanished. "Thank you, Peter. That will be all for now."

"Don't worry, your majesty. I'll get to the bottom of this," Peter said, waving the ledger.

"Again, thank you," Elsa replied, smiling at the old man's sudden fervor. However, she remembered Peter's earlier comment about his age catching up to him. "Though, I wonder… Might it be time for you to take an apprentice that you can train to take your place, allowing you to retire?"

"Retire." Peter grimaced as if the word were a bitter pill he couldn't quite stomach. He looked down at the ledger again and nodded slightly. "Yes," he said at length. "I suppose it is time to train a… replacement."

"One whom I'm sure will enjoy your esteemed tutelage for many years to come," Elsa said, laying a hand on Peter's arm. She smiled at him and gently guided him toward the door. "Now, is there anyone you have in mind, or would you like for Kai to compose a list of candidates for you to look over?"

"Hmm…" Peter hummed to himself, stroking a hand through his beard. "I've a man or two in mind that might serve the purpose, but I'd gladly accept a list of potential candidates. Kai is a very astute man, and I trust his judgement."

"As do I," Elsa replied. She pulled the door leading out of the throne room open and held it for Peter. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm waiting for another important meeting to arrive. Would you like me to come visit you later so that you can tell me what you find?"

"That won't be necessary. I wouldn't want to trouble your majesty," Peter said, waving away the queen's suggestion. "I'll get to the bottom of this and send word straight away. I shall not rest until it is done. Now, I shan't keep you any longer." He hurriedly shuffled out of the throne room and down the hall, but turned back and offered one last bow. "Good day, your majesty." As Peter continued down the hall, a servant came running down from the other end, skidding to a halt in front of the queen and offering a hasty bow.

"Your majesty," he said between heaving breaths. "I've been… instructed to…"

"Calm down." Elsa laid a hand on his shoulder. "Catch your breath for a few seconds."

The servant simply nodded and took a few more heavy breaths before standing fully upright. "Mister Petroff has just arrived at the castle. I was instructed to inform you the instant he arrived."

"Ah, excellent," Elsa replied. "Please see that he is escorted here promptly." The servant turned to carry out the order, but she stopped him at the last moment. "Oh, and please summon Captain Lundqvist."

"At once, your majesty." The servant bowed again before heading back the way he had come.

Elsa gently closed the throne room door and strode back over to her throne. She sat down and tapped her fingers on the arm. Looking back on her conversation with Peter, she was glad that the problem was isolated rather than the result of widespread corruption. However, it also showed her the lengths that Dagnar was willing to go.

She leaned back in her throne and sighed, trying to savor the last few moments of peace she had before Dagnar arrived. She glanced out one of the windows and briefly wondered what Anna was doing. _Having a better afternoon than me, hopefully._

* * *

Anna walked through the streets of the city, her eyes scanning the crowds for a familiar crop of blonde hair. People hurried to get out of her way once they recognized her, and some bowed but most of them smiled or waved. Anna tried to return as many of the friendly gestures as she could, but she was on a mission.

She'd looked everywhere she could think of for Kristoff; from the Royal Ice Harvesters' office in the Commerce District, to his new house in the city, to the stables where Sven spent most of his time after eating peoples' gardens a few too many times. But no matter where she looked, no one had seen Kristoff since the previous day. After another fruitless pass by Kristoff's home, Anna gave up and simply meandered through the city. A few minutes of walking brought her to the docks, and she sat down on the pier to watch the ships sailing into and out of the fjord.

_Where is he?_ she thought sourly. She turned and leaned back against one of the wooden pillars, letting a leg dangle off the edge of the pier. _It's fine if he wants to do something by himself… but he could at least leave a note._ The thought made her chuckle, reminding her of the first time Elsa had needed to abruptly cancel their plans.

She and Elsa had been planning to go on a morning horseback ride after breakfast one day, but Elsa had needed to attend an emergency meeting with her councillors after… something happened that Anna couldn't quite remember. Anna had arrived late to breakfast to find her sister missing, but in her place was a profuse and hastily scribbled apology note along with a box of chocolate with the word 'Sorry' written across it.

When she had finally seen Elsa again, the queen had tried to apologize again, but Anna had waved it away and assured her that everything was fine. Ever since then, any time Elsa had to cancel plans with Anna in favor of her queenly duties, Anna would always find a note explaining her absence, and occasionally another box of 'apology chocolate' as she liked to call them.

Anna sighed again and got up, taking a moment to brush the dust and dirt off of her skirt. As she walked back up toward the city streets, she saw a flash of blond in the crowd that she swore was Kristoff. She ran the rest of the way up the ramp, then scanned the crowd, but it was gone. She huffed in irritation and started her way back to the castle.


	4. Chapter 4

A Snowball's Chance in Hell

**Chapter Four**

Elsa kept her face carefully impassive when the throne room doors opened and Dagnar Petroff entered, followed shortly by a pair of armed guards. His hair and clothes were disheveled from a hasty ride to the castle, but he seemed nonplussed at being nearly dragged in front of the queen.

"Ah, Queen Elsa," he said, dropping into a flourishing bow. "It is always an honor to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Elsa eyed Dagnar coolly. He was extremely calm, as if they'd simply run into one another on the street rather than being summoned before his liege lady at a moment's notice. _He could at least have the decency to look nervous,_ she thought. "I've no patience for games, Mister Petroff," she said, trying to keep the accusatory edge out of her voice. "I believe you know full well why you are here."

"I must confess, I do not," Dagnar replied, shrugging helplessly. "I cannot think of anything that would warrant such a… sudden audience with your majesty. Unless you've reconsidered my proposal of re-establishing trade with Weselton, that is."

Elsa arched an eyebrow at Dagnar's response. _He's committed, I'll give him that much._ "No," she replied. "As I stated in my declaration, Arendelle shall never do business with _Weasel-town_ again." A tentative knock sounded at the door. "Come in," Elsa called.

A middle-aged man opened the door and stepped through. He wore a similar outfit to the rest of Arendelle's Royal Guard, though his uniform was a deep navy blue instead of the normal forest green. He stood at attention and snapped a salute. "You wished to see me, your majesty?" he asked, the words ruffling his bushy mustache.

"Ah, yes, Captain Lundqvist," Elsa said, smiling. She motioned toward Dagnar, who suddenly seemed a bit ill at ease. "Please take Mister Petroff here into custody."

"_What?_" Dagnar roared. He tried to take a step toward the queen, but the guards who had brought him in restrained him. They held his arms behind his back while Captain Lundqvist placed a pair of handcuffs around his wrists. "You can't do this! I've done nothing wrong! You have no right—" He fell silent when the queen gave him an ice-cold stare.

"As _Queen_, it is my right to do anything that I please," Elsa shot back, standing up and taking a few slow steps forward. She was tempted to try and slap some sense into Dagnar, but she knew it would be doomed to failure and only serve to start some juicy gossip amongst the castle staff. Instead, she drew up to her full height and fixed him with a cool stare. "You are hereby charged with fraud and embezzlement of funds."

"What?" Dagnar strained forward against the grip of the guards. "I didn't… I would _never_—"

Elsa silenced him again with another hard stare. "You will be held in the Royal Penitentiary until such time as a proper trial can be held to determine your guilt or innocence. Effective immediately, you are stripped of all your lands and titles, along with Petroff Shipping Industries. All of them will now be under the purview of the crown." Dagnar opened his mouth to protest, but Elsa held up a hand to forestall him. "Your family will be allowed to remain in your current home, and they will be taken care of."

Dagnar's mouth opened and closed like a landed fish struggling to breathe. After a few moments, he slumped down, hanging his head in resignation. "I'm sorry, my queen," he mumbled.

_Sorry you got caught, perhaps,_ Elsa thought sourly. She turned to Captain Lundqvist and simply said, "Take him away."

"Of course, your majesty," Lundqvist replied, bowing. He led Dagnar out of the throne room, followed by the two guards who had brought him in. Once they were gone, Elsa leaned against the wall and let out a breath. Her stomach rumbled to remind her that she hadn't had a proper breakfast. She pulled the door open and started for the kitchens. There was still about an hour until lunch would be served, but she needed something to tide her over until then.

"Oh, Elsa! Wait up!"

Elsa stopped and turned to see Anna hurrying down the hall toward her. "Anna? What are you doing here?" she asked. Her question went unheeded as her sister finally caught her and pulled her into a tight hug. Elsa did her best to return it, but her arms were trapped by Anna's. Once they separated, she tried again. "Why are you back already? I thought you'd be out at least until lunch."

"Oh, well, I couldn't find Kristoff anywhere, so…" Anna trailed off, and her mood fell a little. She wrung her hands together for a bit before asking, "Hey, do you maybe wanna go for a ride?"

Elsa pursed her lips. Anna knew that she didn't particularly like horses, or rather that _they_ didn't like _her_. Something about her magic spooked them, and she'd been bitten enough times when she was young to swear off the beasts forever. Only Anna's persistent enthusiasm about horseback riding had convinced Elsa to give it another try recently. That attempt had met with the same success the ones in the past had, but it had left her with an important insight: The only time her sister suggested an impromptu ride was when something was bothering her, something that she wanted to talk about. Elsa had no doubts about the subject of this ride would be. Brief consideration was given to accepting Anna's suggestion, she wanted the best for her sister after all, but she wasn't sure she could bear listening to her sister's woes and try to fix something she secretly wanted to see broken.

"I'm sorry, Anna," Elsa said, smiling apologetically, "but I've just had Dagnar taken into custody and seized his company, along with all his lands. I need to make sure that his family is taken care of, not to mention all of the paperwork that will be involved in appropriating Petroff Shipping Industries into use under royal jurisdiction." It broke her heart to watch Anna's face fall even further, and she laid a comforting hand on her sister's arm. "I promise I'll make it up to you. Perhaps we can eat some ice cream in front of the fireplace say… tomorrow evening?"

It was a stay of execution, at best. At some point she was going to have to hear her sister talk about her boyfriend, and like any good sister, help Anna out with her troubles and worries. The fact that it didn't have to happen today would have to be enough. _Yes, _she thought to herself, _tomorrow I'll make sure at least one of us is having a good time._

Anna pouted for a second, but then it flipped up into a slight smile. "Okay, it's a date," she said. She stepped forward and gave her sister another hug, this one not as rib-crushingly tight as the first. "Thanks, Elsa." She gave her sister one last squeeze before turning and heading back down the hall. "Don't work too hard," she called back over her shoulder.

Elsa watched her sister go, the spring in her step from earlier noticeably gone. Part of her wanted to call Anna back and apologize, then listen to whatever problems she was still having with Kristoff, if only because it was what Anna wanted. The words stuck in her throat, and she stood rooted to the spot until her sister rounded a corner and disappeared. She sighed and headed for her room, her hunger gone despite her empty stomach.

* * *

Anna tried, and generally succeeded, to resist the urge to track her sister down the following day. She knew that Elsa's queenly duties were important, even if her sister did occasionally push herself a little too hard. However, she finally broke and went off in search of Elsa after the queen missed both lunch and dinner.

Anna found Elsa in their father's… she supposed it was _Elsa's_ study, now. The Queen of Arendelle looked beyond exhausted, but she still managed a tired smile for her sister. "I'm sorry, Anna, but I don't think I could stay awake in front of the fireplace… or anywhere, for that matter," she said, fighting to stifle a yawn. "Would you mind if we rescheduled for tomorrow?" Of course, Anna hadn't minded. Elsa obviously had a lot to do after putting Dagnar into custody. She could wait a little longer.

When she'd finally seen Elsa the next day, the queen hadn't looked as exhausted, but she was in the middle of a meeting with her advisors on what sounded like an important trade delegation. _Maybe she really is thinking about re-establishing trade with Weselton after all._ Elsa merely smiled apologetically while one of her advisors droned on, and Anna nodded understandingly. Queens and princesses sometimes had to make sacrifices for the good of the kingdom.

Anna had hoped that the next day would work out better when she ran into her sister in the hallway. However, Elsa immediately started to leave after a brief greeting and a quick hug. "I'm sorry, Anna," she said. "I'm running very late for an important meeting. I'll try to see you at dinner." Anna pursed her lips while she watched her sister leave. The queen seemed a little disheveled to be heading to a meeting, especially a proclaimed 'important' one. Ultimately, Anna shrugged went about her business. Waiting until dinner couldn't hurt.

However, Elsa never showed up for dinner that night. Anna asked a few of the staff where the queen had gotten off to, but even Kai hadn't seen Elsa since shortly after lunch. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Anna made her way to Elsa's room once she was done with dinner. She knocked on the door with a little more force than necessary, calling out, "Elsa?" There was no answer, but she saw a shadow move through the gap along the floor. "Come on, Elsa. I know you're in there. Open up."

Nearly a minute passed before the door finally opened, and Anna was surprised by her sister's appearance. Despite the relatively early hour, Elsa was already wearing a nightgown, and her hair was loose about her shoulders instead of in its typical braid. "I'm sorry, Anna," she said. "But there are several delegations from the Far East arriving at dawn tomorrow morning, and I have to greet them personally so I need to get some sleep now." She held up a hand when Anna opened her mouth to respond. "I know. I know we still need to… talk, but I can't right now." She paused, took a deep breath, and fought for one last extension. "Tomorrow, I _promise_. I'll have Gerda pack us a lunch. We can take a ride and have a picnic down by the fjord."

Anna stared at her sister long and hard. She got the distinct feeling that Elsa was trying to avoid talking to her. She couldn't figure out why, but she knew that Elsa cared about her and had her best interests at heart. After a few moments of tense silence, Anna held out a hand, her pinkie extended.

Elsa looked at her sister's proffered hand warily and swallowed. The pinkie swear had been the most sacred and binding oath she and Anna had had as children. She knew that if she agreed to it now, there would be no backing out of it. _That's well enough,_ she thought. _This farce has gone on long enough._ The queen reached out with her own hand, wrapping her pinkie around her sister's. They shook briefly before letting their hands fall back to their respective sides. Anna studied her for a few more seconds, then turned and left without another word. Elsa watched her sister go, her heart breaking a little more with each heavy, plodding step. She closed the door and pressed her forehead against the wood, silently cursing her own cowardice.

When she rounded a corner, Anna stopped and leaned back against the wall. Something was wrong, but her sister was stubbornly refusing to tell her what it was. Anna let her head rest against the wall and sighed. She loved Elsa to death, but her sister still refused to share anything that bothered her. She knew Elsa wasn't doing it on purpose, but the lack of trust it implied still stung.

Her eyes found the window, and she saw that the sun was still a good bit above the horizon. She chewed her lip for a bit, wondering if it was a good idea to try and go find Kristoff again. She'd checked his home every day, but still hadn't seen him in three days. She was starting to get worried. Casting one last look back at Elsa's door, Anna headed toward the front doors of the castle.

A few minutes of brisk walking found Anna in front of Kristoff's door for the third time in as many days. She knocked just as she had every other time, fully expecting only silence as her answer. However, a few seconds later, the door opened and her missing boyfriend poked his head out. "Oh, hey Anna," he said casually.

It took Anna a couple seconds to realize that Kristoff had actually answered the door. "And just where have _you_ been?" she blurted out. It came out more accusatory than she had meant it to, but she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for it. _He disappears off of the face of the Earth for three days and all I get is a 'hey Anna'?_ She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, waiting for an answer.

"Hey, calm down," Kristoff replied, holding his hands up placatingly. He opened the door wider and stepped aside, motioning for Anna to come inside. She continued to glare at him for a bit before stomping into the house and flopping down in one of the kitchen chairs. "I went out to the Valley to see Grand Pabbie and the rest of the gang," he said. "While I was out there, one of the youngsters earned their Earth Crystal. There was a big celebration, and everyone wanted me to stay for it." He shrugged, as if it were a perfectly normal explanation for his absence.

That was one of the problems, though. For him, it might actually have been perfectly acceptable; growing up with the trolls might have turned out for the best for him, but it did make him somewhat… Anna struggled to find the word she was looking for. _Eccentric? Quirky? Just plain weird?_ She settled for an amalgamation of the three and smiled at him. Despite his occasional weirdness, she did love him, didn't she?

"Still, you could have left a note or something," she eventually replied, standing up. "Three days and _no one_ had any clue where you were. I was getting worried." She walked over to him and laid her hand on his chest, rising up on her toes for a quick kiss. Kristoff turned his head at the last moment, and she ended up planting the kiss on his cheek. She pulled back a bit and looked up at him curiously.

"Oh, sorry," Kristoff said, smiling sheepishly. He brought a hand up to cover a yawn, then ran it through his hair. "Listen, Anna, I missed you and all, but it was a long walk back from the Valley and I'm beat. Do you think we could hang out tomorrow, maybe after lunch?"

"Oh, um, yeah. Sure," Anna replied. She closed her eyes and leaned up for another kiss, this time stopping a little short to let him come down a bit. She waited for a couple seconds before finally cracking an eye open. Just as she did, Kristoff finally came down and gave her a light peck on the lips, then moved toward the door again. She followed him absently, a dozen questions whirling around her mind. He held the door open and she walked through, stopping and looking back over her shoulder once she was outside. "Well, I'll… see you tomorrow, then." He made a vague affirmative noise and shut the door.

Anna walked aimlessly through the streets, only vaguely aware of the people bowing or waving hello to her. She ran through everything that had happened in her head over and over. Something was off about Kristoff, but she couldn't figure out what. He'd always been a little odd, but something about his behavior just now was… distant. Bored, even.

Her mind fixated on the kiss. Kristoff's attitude made it seem like a chore, like something he was being forced to do rather than something he wanted to do. His kisses were normally a little rough and sloppy, but they were alive. They had passion and desire behind them. This one was brief, perfunctory; it was the kind of kiss teenage boys gave their mothers.

Anna looked up from her absentminded meandering to find herself back in front of the castle gates. She sighed and headed into the courtyard. The last vestiges of sunlight were still peeking over the horizon, but Anna was emotionally exhausted. _Something's wrong with Elsa that she's hiding from me, and Kristoff is… I don't even know._ She walked through the open massive front doors of the castle and angled toward the grand curved staircase that led up to her and Elsa's rooms. Once she finally reached her bedroom, she flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

_At least everything will be better tomorrow._

* * *

When Anna finally dragged herself out of bed the following morning, she felt like she'd barely gotten any sleep, which she probably hadn't once she thought about it. She'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, her mind refusing to shut down. It had provided her with a number of possible scenarios for what could be bothering her sister. From more nastiness with the Duke of Weselton, to the issue with Dagnar being bigger than either of them had suspected. She thought she had even had a brief dream about Elsa revealing a secret pregnancy with a mysterious paramour, which had been both exciting and oddly terrifying.

But for all of her mind's wild fantasies about what could possibly be bothering her sister, it offered no speculations about what could be wrong with Kristoff. She'd simply never seen him be so… cold before. It was totally foreign, and she had no idea how to interpret it.

After a quick bath, Anna headed down to breakfast. Despite trying to prepare herself for it, she was slightly disappointed when Elsa never showed up. With how her sister had been acting the past few days, Anna doubted she'd see so much as a glimpse of Elsa before their planned horseback ride and picnic at lunch time.

_Lunch time,_ Anna thought. She tapped her fork against her chin absently, forgetting about the chocolate-dipped strawberry that she had just speared as it smeared chocolate on her chin. _Kristoff wanted to meet after lunch… but I don't want to rush things with Elsa._ She pursed her lips for a bit, then finally remembered her strawberry and popped it in her mouth. _I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I swung by __**before**_ _lunch, instead_.

Anna hopped up out of her chair and headed for the door, but a servant coming in just ahead of her caught her attention by clearing his throat and motioning toward his chin. Anna wiped a finger along her own chin, and was surprised when it came away with a bit of chocolate on it. After wiping up as much as she could with her fingers—no sense letting it go to waste, after all—she finished cleaning up with a napkin, then resumed her journey out to the front gates.

It was still relatively early, so the streets were nearly empty, save for a few vendors already selling their wares in the market. As such, Anna found herself standing in front of Kristoff's door in nearly record time. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer, humming tunelessly to herself. Nearly a minute passed without any sign of life from the house, so she knocked again, a little louder this time. She stopped humming and peeked through a window that looked in on the kitchen. A pair of plates and accompanying silverware littered the table, but they were clearly from the previous day.

_He's not even up yet,_ she thought wryly, rolling her eyes. She tried the doorknob, smirking when it turned and the door fell open a crack. _For as much he makes fun of me for sleeping in, he'd sleep 'til noon if he didn't have to get up for work._ She crept through the entryway and the living room, following one of the few clean paths through the house back to the bedroom. She eyed the clutter wearily; dirty clothes, used dishes, and damaged or broken ice harvesting equipment littered the small house. A single misstep would have sent some precariously stacked cup or plate tumbling down and given her away.

Skirting around one last pile of wrinkled clothes, Anna finally reached the door to Kristoff's bedroom. She grabbed the handle and pushed it open, going slowly to make sure that the hinges didn't creak. Once the opening was wide enough, she slipped through and tiptoed toward the bed. She was about to yank back the covers when something made her pause. The lump under the covers was big… _too_ big, in fact. Her eyes roamed over the mountain of blankets from the headboard all the way down to the end of the bed where all three of Kristoff's feet were sticking out.

_Wait, three?_

Anna leaned over, peering closer at the foot of the bed. Sure enough, there were three feet sticking out. Two of them were obviously Kristoff's, but the third was smaller, more slender, and hooked around the ice harvester's ankle. Before she could investigate further, the lump under the covers shifted, exposing a delicate hand and a mop of brunette hair.

Anna froze, her mouth falling open slightly. Her hand came up to cover it, and she took a shaky step back. _No._ She shook her head slightly, unable to accept what she was seeing. _No. It can't… He wouldn't…_ She took another step back and bumped into a pile of clutter. A shovel that had been leaning against the pile fell, clattering against the floor. The delicate hand poking out from the covers flinched, then grabbed the blankets and pulled them lower, revealing a woman's face. The mysterious woman cracked a sleepy eye open, only to have both of them fly open when she saw Anna.

For a few tense moments, they stared at one another. Silent. Unblinking. Anna would likely have silently left the scene of the second deepest betrayal of her life if it hadn't been for Kristoff himself draping an arm around the girl, leaning up to nibble along her neck. "Mornin', Liana. You up for another round before breakfast?" When she didn't answer, he pulled back a bit and looked at her. "What's the matter, babe?" he asked. He noticed her looking over his shoulder and followed her gaze, finally seeing Anna next to the bed.

"Shit," he blurted out. He looked back and forth between Anna and Liana for a second before saying, "This isn't what it looks like, I swear." Before he could say anything else, Anna turned and ran, throwing the bedroom door open and sending it colliding with the wall. A similar crash a few seconds later announced that she'd made it out the front door. Kristoff threw off the covers and hopped out of bed, chasing after her in only a pair of boxers.

"Anna, wa—_ow!_" He cursed under his breath when he stepped on a fork laying in the living room, but he kept after the fleeing princess. "Anna, wait!" he called. Despite her head start, he slowly caught up to her, and he finally managed to grab a hold of her arm just before she would have turned the corner to bring the castle into view. "Just let me—"

Anna spun around, swinging her right hand out wide to try and catch Kristoff off-guard. Unfortunately, he blocked the blow easily and grabbed onto her arm to keep her from trying again. "Anna, please," he said, trying to duck down and meet her gaze. "Just let me explain, I swear it's not—" The rest of his sentence went unsaid when Anna yanked her left arm free and brought her fist around in a strong hook that caught him square in the jaw. He tumbled to the ground, immediately pressing a hand to his cheek.

"Don't touch me!" Anna screamed, tears streaming down her face. "Just stay away from me! I don't ever want to see you again!" She stomped a foot, and Kristoff scurried backward a bit, afraid that she might try stomping on him next. He could only watch as she stormed away, one arm holding the other while a hand did its best to cover her sobs.

* * *

Elsa paced around her room, desperately wracking her brain for what she was going to say to her sister. Nothing she could come up with sounded appropriate, convincing, or even sane. The more she paced and the longer she thought about it, she became more and more convinced that Anna would have the Royal Council deem her 'Unfit to Rule,' remove her from the throne, and toss her in a mental institution.

She stopped her endless pacing before she could wear a hole in the carpet and closed her eyes. Moving a hand in and out in time with her breathing, she tried to soothe her frazzled nerves. _Calm down_, she told herself. _Anna loves you, even if it's not in the same way that you do her. You just need to go out there and be honest with—_

A knock at her door violently pulled her from her thoughts, leaving her standing in the middle of her room surrounded by a small ring of sharp icicles. "Elsa?" Anna's voice came from the other side and the handle jiggled, but the lock kept the door closed. "Elsa, please. I… I need to talk to you. Now."

Elsa glanced at the clock. _Only half past eight. It's too early._ She slowly walked to the door, leaving a small patch of frost with each step. Grasping the lock with a shaking hand, she took one final deep breath and twisted it. She pulled the door open a few inches and peeked through the crack at her sister.

The sight before Elsa broke her heart. Anna's beautiful eyes were red from crying, and her cheeks were still wet from where her tears had fallen. Anna looked up at her sadly, her hands gripping one of her twin braids as if it were a lifeline. "Hi," she said weakly. Her mouth twitched up toward a small smile before immediately falling back into a deep frown. "I know it's early, and you said you wanted to talk at lunch, but…" She trailed off and looked up at her sister, desperate for understanding. "Can I come in?" she asked in a small voice.

Elsa didn't know what could possibly have happened to make Anna cry, but she knew that Anna needed her to be a big sister right now. She needed Elsa to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. However, Elsa could already feel her self-control starting to fray, and she knew that if she slipped even a little bit, she could ruin her relationship with Anna beyond any hope of repair. _I… I can't. I'm not ready._ She shook her head and started to close the door. "I'm sorry, Anna," she said, averting her eyes from her sister's tear-stained gaze. "I… I just can't. Not right now."

"Elsa, wait," Anna pleaded. She reached out and put a hand on the door, pushing only just hard enough to keep it from closing further. "Please," she said, her voice breaking on the word.

Elsa pressed her free hand to the door and pushed it closed, heedless of the sharp ice that formed under her palm and stabbed into her hand. Just before the door slid shut again, however, she stopped. _No. For once in your life, be there for her when __**she**_ _needs it._ She took a breath and pulled the door open again, standing aside and motioning for Anna to come in. But instead of entering the room, her sister ran forward and wrapped her in a tight hug. Elsa returned the embrace, using a hand to rub small circles on Anna's back. "It's okay, Anna," she whispered, resting her cheek on the top of her sister's head. "It's okay."

She tried to take a step toward the bed, but Anna whimpered and squeezed her tighter, the first few tears beginning to break through. Soon, Anna was shaking while sobs wracked her small frame. Elsa's heart ached in her chest at seeing her sister so distraught. She felt useless, only able to stand there silent and nearly motionless while the woman she loved so dearly cried her eyes out. An idea struck her, and she began humming a lullaby that their mother had sung them when they were children. Anna's sobs slowed and eventually dried up until only the occasional sniffle came out.

"There we are," Elsa murmured, planting a soft kiss on the top of Anna's head. "Now, why don't we go sit on the bed and you can tell me what happened." Her sister nodded into her chest, but made no move to let her go. She was about to contemplate the logistics of moving over to the bed with Anna hanging onto her when her sister gave her one last extra-tight squeeze, then let her go.

Anna trudged over to the bed and flopped down, staring blankly at the ceiling. A few moments later, she felt the mattress shift as her sister sat down next to her. She knew that Elsa would be willing to wait as long as it took for her to be comfortable enough to speak, but she wasn't sure if she'd ever truly be _comfortable_ talking about it. _Might as well get it over with,_ she mused. "Kristoff cheated on me."

"_What?_" Elsa clenched her teeth so hard it hurt. "How _dare_ he, even after everything that happened with... us." She wisely kept her mouth shut about Hans and the first betrayal. "Don't worry, Anna, I won't let this go unpunished." She got up from the bed and began to pace around the room clenching her hands into fists so tightly that her nails left marks on the skin. "I'll fire him from court. I'll make sure he never finds work in this kingdom again! I'll banish him! I'll... I'll..."

Anna got up and embraced her furious sister. "D-don't."

Just like that, the fiery embers of her anger died out, and Elsa was left with an uncomfortable void that filled only with concern for her younger sister. "Are you sure, Anna? At the very least, I am removing him from the position of Royal Ice Master and Deliverer. Did he even _do_ anything with it?"

Anna rested her head against her sister, finding some small comfort in having her here, now. "Maybe it's my fault," she muttered despondently. "I just wasn't—" She got no further before Elsa silenced her with a finger pressed against her lips. Her sister looked angry again, perhaps even more so than before.

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence, Anna. You did _nothing_ wrong, do you hear me? Nothing." Elsa was balancing on the edge now, torn between her mind's desire to be a good sister and her heart's desire to be something more. Her mind won out this time, and she pressed a kiss to Anna's forehead. "You're my darling sister, the most wonderful person I know. If Kristoff can't see that, then he's not worth crying over."

"B-but what if I'm just not good enough?" Anna asked. "O-or, they all think I'm too awkward or clumsy or that I ramble too much or—"

A sleeve of Elsa's dress was demoted to tissue paper and used to gently wipe away Anna's tears before Elsa treated her to a small smile. "Anna, you're the most beautiful girl that I know, both in body and mind. Not only that, but you have the most infectious optimism and you can make other people smile." Her smile grew as her sister's pout slowly disappeared. "Any man would be lucky to have you, and when you find the one, you'll find that most every man wishes they could trade places with him." _And they won't be the only ones._ "Are you sure you don't want me to freeze his manhood off?" she asked softly.

Her suggestion got a tiny smile from Anna, which soon turned into a full blown giggle. "Thanks, Elsa," she said, pulling her sister into another hug and resting her head on Elsa's shoulder. "You're the best sister ever."

Elsa planted another kiss on top of her sister's head, then rested her cheek there. Even while her heart skipped a beat at the compliment, a small malicious voice in the back of her head reminded her of her hypocrisy. _She'd never say that if she knew how you really felt about her, or if she knew what you were thinking about right now_. It was true. Even with Anna's fragile state, nearly all she could think about was the soft warmth of her sister's body pressed up against hers, the feeling of Anna's warm breath ghosting over her neck, and how easy it would be to just tilt Anna's head up and take the kiss she'd been dreaming about for weeks. Yet through all of the temptation, she stood firm, but only barely.

After a few more moments of enjoying Elsa's comfort, Anna gave her sister one last squeeze and pulled away. "Thanks again for listening, Elsa," she said. She made her way over to the bed and sat down, wringing her hands together. "Would you… mind if we hung out today?" she asked meekly, her eyes trained on the floor. "I mean, it's okay if you can't. I'm sure you're super busy being Queen and all, it's just—"

Elsa chuckled and sat down on the bed, wrapping an arm around her sister's shoulders. "That sounds wonderful, Anna," she said, cutting off her sister's rambling. "So, what do you want to do first?" Unfortunately, her mind answered before her sister, giving her an extremely vivid mental image of just what she and Anna could be doing on her bed. Her sister merely shrugged, her gaze still downcast. _Come on, Elsa. What does Anna love to do?_ A single answer leapt to the front of her mind. She stood up and grabbed Anna's hand to pull her along. "Come on. I have an idea."

"What?" Anna asked, her voice still lacking its usual energy. She stood up and followed her sister over to the door.

Elsa turned around and flashed her a playful smile. "We're going to go steal some chocolate." she replied.


	5. Chapter 5

A Snowball's Chance in Hell

**Chapter Five**

Anna raised a quizzical eyebrow. She had to admit that Elsa had grabbed her attention with the word 'chocolate,' but the rest of her 'plan,' if it could be called such, didn't make much sense. "Um… Elsa, I'm pretty sure that the _Queen of Arendelle_ can just, you know, walk into the kitchen and get something if she wants it," she said while following her sister out the door and into the hall. "Heck, you could just ask a servant to get it for you."

"Yes, but where's the fun in that?" Elsa asked. She slowed as she approached a corner and carefully peeked around it. "The coast is clear," she whispered before darting around the corner.

Anna followed close behind her sister, still being dragged along by a hand. Memories came back to her of them doing the exact same thing as children, though back then it had been her dragging Elsa through the halls of the castle. They'd gotten more than a few slapped wrists for trying to spoil their appetites before dinner, but those had always only made their eventual successes all the more satisfying.

Soon, Anna was trailing along behind Elsa eagerly. They ran down halls and hid behind suits of armor, just like when they were children. Even though she was having more fun than she'd had in ages, Anna was grateful that they didn't pass any guards or servants on their little quest to the kitchens. The last thing she wanted was rumors about how the queen was gallivanting around the castle like a child, regardless of how much truth was behind them.

After a few more minutes of scampering unseen through the halls, they arrived at the door to the kitchens. Both girls were slightly out of breath, but sported matching grins. "One last obstacle," Elsa whispered. She placed a hand on the door handle and turned it gently, cracking the door open just a sliver. She peeked through the opening and scanned the kitchens, somewhat let down when she found them empty. Throwing the door open wider, she leaned against the frame and crossed her arms. "Well, that was anticlimactic," she muttered.

Anna giggled and leaned through the doorway and surveyed the kitchens for herself. Finding them sufficiently deserted, she darted into the room and made a beeline for the pantry. "Come on, Elsa," she called back to her sister, beckoning with a hand. "We still have to _get_ the chocolate then get back to the room." She pulled the pantry door open and ducked inside.

Elsa couldn't help but grin. She'd known that her hastily drawn up plan was a longshot at best, but she was happy that Anna was enjoying herself, even if it meant potentially making a fool of herself should they actually run into anyone. _When in doubt, go with chocolate,_ she thought wryly. Pushing off of the doorway, she made her way over to the pantry at a slightly more leisurely pace than her sister had. Inside, she found Anna deep in contemplation between two options.

"What do you think, Elsa?" Anna asked, holding up her two potential victims. "The raspberry filling in these truffles is to die for," she said, shaking a small bag of milk chocolate truffles, "but I absolutely _love_ dark chocolate." She waved a bar of pure dark chocolate carefully wrapped in parchment paper. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two, and she chewed on her bottom lip while she tried to make the impossible decision. After a few more seconds of indecision, she sighed. "Could we have both?" she asked, looking to her sister with a hopeful smile.

"I think that might be a bit much," Elsa replied, trying and failing to hold back a giggle. She took the bag of truffles and put it back on the shelf. "Here, let's have the dark chocolate now, and maybe Gerda can pack the truffles for our picnic."

Anna pouted for a second, but ultimately relented. "Okay," she muttered, casting one last longing glance at the truffles. She unwrapped one end of the dark chocolate bar and took a deep whiff. She licked her lips and went to break off a small piece, just a taste to tide her over until they made their escape, but Elsa's hand swatting at her own stopped her.

"Hey, no eating it until we get back to the room," Elsa chided her. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at her sister's pleading expression. "No, Anna," she said, moving to grab the bar. Her sister clutched it to her chest before she could reach it, so she rolled her eyes and headed back out of the pantry. "Come on, let's get back before you _starve_."

They slipped back out of the pantry after checking to make sure the coast was clear. However, Anna slipped an arm through Elsa's and rested her head on her sister's shoulder rather than leading her sister on another childlike escapade through the halls. She held up the chocolate bar with her free hand, taking another sniff through the poorly re-folded parchment paper. "So, how are we going to split this?" she asked. "50/50?"

"Hmm…" Elsa tapped a finger to her chin and pretended to think for a moment. "I don't know," she said, grinning mischievously. "This entire heist was _my_ idea, after all. I think I'm entitled a bigger share of the prize. I think 70/30 would be fair."

"What?" Anna blurted out. She recoiled, clutching the precious chocolate to her chest. "That's not even _close_ to fair! It should—" Her complaint died in her throat when the kitchen's side door clicked and started to open. She immediately ducked down and pressed her back against the side of an counter. She looked back up to see her sister staring down at her in confusion, so she grabbed Elsa's wrist and pulled her down as well. Biting back a giggle at her sister's continued befuddled expression, she leaned in and whispered, "We're not supposed to be seen, remember?"

Elsa was having a hard time remembering her own name after feeling Anna's breath play over her ear like it just had. She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath, gathering herself after Anna's abrupt aural assault. "Right," she murmured. They needed to find out who had entered the kitchen and, more importantly, which direction they were looking. Several ideas floated through her mind, chief among them being to create a mirror out of ice that they could use to look around the edge of the counter. However, with Anna being so close and practically pressing up against her, Elsa didn't particularly trust herself to keep the amount of control and focus she would need to create a functional mirror. _Well, plan B, then._

Elsa carefully rolled over onto her knees, cringing at every scrape of fabric against the tile floor. She slowly leaned to the side until she could just peek around the corner. Thankfully, the woman who had entered was facing away from them, busy with something on the far side of the kitchen. Risking a little more exposure, Elsa leaned just a bit farther out from the counter. Her eyes roamed the kitchen for anything that could aid them in making their escape. A glint of light caught her eye and drew it to a row of ladles hanging a few feet away from the woman. The woman stepped away from the counter she had been working on and started to turn, forcing Elsa to duck back quickly.

"So, what's the plan?" Anna asked quietly.

Elsa had to bite her lip as the warmth of Anna's breath wafted over her ear and neck again. At least this time she was somewhat prepared, so her mind didn't unravel into a useless pile of mush. "There's…" The rest of her thought vanished when Anna leaned over her to take her own peek around the edge of the counter. Unfortunately, the move only pressed her body up against her sister's more firmly, which made Elsa all too aware of the curvier assets her sister possessed.

"I think we're safe," Anna whispered. "Should we just make a break for it, or—" She ducked back behind the counter before she could finish. "Never mind, she's still there. So, again, what's the plan?"

Her sister's question reacher her ears just fine, but Elsa was having a hard time paying attention to it. In her haste to not be seen, Anna's sudden movements had caused her loose hair to spill haphazardly about her shoulders, leaving a tantalizing stretch of bare skin open along the nape of her neck. Elsa had to bite back the urge to lean forward and shower the area with kisses. Once again, her willpower was tested, and once again she stood firm, though her restraint was waning quickly.

"There's a rack of ladles on the wall," she said, gently placing a hand on her sister's shoulder and guiding her back to her spot against the counter. "I should be able to rattle them with a little gust of magic and draw her attention, then we sneak out." She shuffled closer to the edge of the counter and looked back over her shoulder, asking, "Are you ready?"

Anna shot her a confident grin, "I was _born_ ready," she replied.

Despite the sheer ridiculousness of their current predicament, Elsa couldn't help but grin back. She held up three fingers and counted down. Once she dropped the last one, she leaned just around the edge of the counter. The woman was facing away again, so she flicked her hand out, sending a small gust of cold air across the room. A few snowflakes travelled with it, but melted before they made it very far. Unfortunately, the gust died halfway across the kitchen. Pursing her lips, she flicked her hand more forcefully. This time the rush of air made it all the way across the kitchen, but her aim was off and it collided harmlessly with the wall.

She heard a poorly-hidden snicker come from behind her and shot a glare back at her sister. Focusing on her target again, she threw her hand out one last time. Her aim was true, but she had put too much force behind her magic due to her frustration. As a result, a snowflake-laden gust of frigid air sailed across the kitchen and hit the rack of ladles head-on. The blast lifted them off of their hooks and sent them clattering all over the counter, causing the woman to jump and yelp in surprise.

Elsa quickly turned away and motioned for her sister to go. The pair made a mad dash for the exit, but Elsa paused at the door and looked back. She saw Gerda staring at her, wearing a bemused smile and holding a frost-covered ladle. Elsa gave her a weak smile back, some small part of her mind waiting for the old housekeeper to scold her even though she was the Queen now. Gerda merely rolled her eyes and waved for Elsa to go, so she mouthed a quick 'thank you' and headed after Anna. She found her sister a little ways down the hall clutching the bar of chocolate to her chest, though the paper was open again and a small piece was missing from the corner.

Anna swallowed quickly when she heard her sister's soft footsteps approaching. Her eyes darted down to the missing bit of chocolate before coming back up to meet Elsa's. "It was like that when I opened it," she said once Elsa caught up to her.

"I'm sure it was," Elsa replied with a wry smile. She reached out and snapped off a matching piece off of the other side of the bar. "There. Now it's even," she said before popping it into her mouth. Dark chocolate wasn't her favorite, that honor was reserved for white chocolate, but she couldn't deny that all chocolate was delicious in its own way.

Anna cast one last hungry glance at the chocolate bar before wrapping the paper back around it. "So, how _are_ we going to split it?" she asked.

"Oh, I have an idea," Elsa purred. She grabbed her sister's hand and dragged her down the hall. A few turns through the castle's cavernous corridors brought them to the Royal Library. She opened the door and pulled Anna inside, nearly bouncing on her way over to a pair of chairs with a table set between them. "I figured we could play a game of chess. You get a piece of chocolate for each piece you capture. The more important the chess piece, the bigger the chocolate piece."

Anna's stomach dropped the moment her sister said 'chess.' She had never been able to keep track of the rules that governed how the pieces moved, and she was fairly certain that Elsa knew that. "That doesn't sound very fair," she muttered, crossing her arms.

Elsa chuckled while she started setting up the board. "I promise I won't go _too_ hard on you," she said. Once the board was set, she grabbed a pawn of each color, shuffled them around in her palm, and held her hands out to her sister. "Okay, pick."

Anna refused to budge, hoping that if she simply didn't pick a color, Elsa would give up this little plan of hers that was obviously just a scheme to cheat her out of her hard earned chocolate. Unfortunately for Anna, her sister had vastly more patience than she did, and after about fifteen seconds of silence, she finally broke and tapped one of the queen's hands with a finger.

"White, so you get the first move," Elsa said once she flipped her hand over. She placed the borrowed pawns back into the proper squares and sat on the black side of the board. She waited while her sister continued to stand there, the chocolate bar clutched to her chest. "Come on, Anna," she said, smiling warmly. "It'll be fun, I promise."

"For you, maybe," Anna mumbled under her breath. Regardless, she trudged over to the other chair and plopped down. She put the chocolate down on the table and looked over the board, trying to remember exactly just what each piece did. _The… popes are the ones that only move diagonally, right? Or is that the castle-y one?_ She had hovered over and grabbed nearly every piece along her back row before she remembered that only knights could jump over other pieces, so she hastily grabbed the pawn in front of the king and moved it forward two squares.

_Pawn to e4,_ Elsa thought to herself. Half a dozen possible counter-moves whirled through her head, and she tried to envision how each would play out. _Let's keep it simple_, she decided, grabbing her own king's pawn and matching its movement to Anna's. _The Russian Defence_. She'd meant it when she told her sister that she didn't want to go too hard on her, but she also didn't want Anna to feel like she was patronizing her by purposefully playing poorly.

Anna chewed on her lower lip and looked over the board. During their short-lived attempts at teaching her how to play, both Elsa and their father had tried to explain that entire games could be decided in the first few moves. They'd stressed the importance of trying to think about how things would play out and to envision how the game would unfold, but she could never figure out how to predict what her opponent would do. _No one move is 'better' than another, it's all just moving pawns right now._ Her hand drifted to her kingside knight. The knights had always been her favorite pieces, despite having the most nonsensical movement pattern. She'd always liked that they could just hop over other pieces that were in the way, while even the mighty King and Queen had to find a way to go around.

Realizing that she'd been just staring at the board for an extended period of time, she picked up the knight and moved it over the pawn in front of it to threaten Elsa's exposed pawn. She fully expected her sister to protect the pawn in some way, so she was a little taken aback when Elsa simply mirrored her action, moving up her own knight. Anna leaned forward and studied the board, her brows furrowing in concentration. She looked for any way that Elsa could counter her knight taking the exposed pawn, but couldn't find anything. The thought of drawing first blood against her sister was tempting, especially since a captured piece meant chocolate. A poorly-stifled giggle broke her concentration, and she looked up to see the queen trying to hide her smile behind a hand.

"I'm sorry," Elsa said when she dropped her hand. "You just looked so cute focusing on the board so intently."

Anna huffed irritably, leaning back in her chair for a bit. "Shut up," she muttered, which only earned her another round of giggles from her sister. She knew that she should be incensed about Elsa's words, but all she felt was the heat of a light blush running into her cheeks. Leaning forward again, she grabbed her knight and used it to demonstrably knock over Elsa's pawn before placing her knight where it had been. She couldn't help the smug little grin that spread across her face as she reached for the chocolate bar and broke off a small piece.

"Touché," Elsa said, nodding. She casually moved her queen's pawn forward to threaten the knight, and her sister made a hasty tactical withdrawal the instant her fingers left the piece. _She over-values her knights,_ she thought, instinctively analyzing her opponent. _She'll sacrifice more important pieces like the rook, or even the queen on occasion, to protect them._ She shook her head to try and derail her strategic thinking. _No. We're playing for fun, not to win._ After looking over the board for a few more moments, she decided to copy her sister's previous move, using her knight to capture the exposed pawn and claim a piece of chocolate.

It was Anna's turn to mirror her sister's earlier move and threaten the invading knight. Unfortunately, Elsa's knight beat a hasty retreat and it was once again Anna's turn to move, but she had no clue which move to make. They were essentially back to square one, minus the captured pawns. Anna studied the board for a while, occasionally reaching for a piece before changing her mind. Eventually, she just grabbed a pawn at random and moved it forward one space.

_Strategy's overrated anyway,_ she thought.

* * *

Elsa stared at the chessboard blankly, refusing to believe what she had just seen. Her eyes were fixed on the spot her rook had just occupied, even though one of her sister's gallant white knights stared back at her. Her eyes roved the board, trying to figure out how she had missed such an obvious attack. _I made sure it was protected,_ she thought, her eyes flicking over to her queen. There was a clear line of sight between the queen and the knight, which Elsa could use to exact swift vengeance for her fallen rook—not to mention the chunk of chocolate losing the piece had cost her—but Anna's light square bishop sat in it's original position, looking over the knight like a guardian angel.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to figure out when she'd lost control of the game. After the latest casualty, she was down to her king, her queen, her dark square bishop, and three pawns. The rest of her pieces, and a suspiciously large portion of the chocolate bar, had been taken by Anna in a series of completely unforeseen and illogical attacks. She didn't even have much to show for the lost battles, having only managed to capture three pawns, a rook, and a bishop from her sister.

"Ready to give up?" Anna asked, smug behind her protective wall of standing pieces. She waved her latest chocolate acquisition tauntingly before biting off a small portion of it.

Elsa glared at her sister, but the smile tugging at her lips ruined any seriousness it could have carried. She went back to studying the board and tried to draw up a defensive plan, but even that simple task was impossible. She had no clue where the next advance would be coming from, so she didn't know how she needed to protect her pieces. Every time she'd thought that she'd found a pattern to her sister's moves, the princess would throw a curveball at her that completely unravelled any semblance of a plan she had formed. Elsa leaned back in her chair and sighed, the painful reality that she'd been soundly beaten finally sinking in. _Well, if I'm going down, I might as well go out with a bang,_ she thought. Sitting back up, she picked up her queen and used it to capture the white knight, breaking off a final piece of chocolate afterward. Just as she had predicted, Anna's hand flew to her bishop, then struck down her precious queen. Elsa pressed the tip of a finger to her king, pausing for a moment before knocking it over and conceding the game.

"Yes!" Anna cried, pumping a fist in the air. She eagerly scooped up the remaining third of the chocolate bar and took a bite directly from it, letting her eyes slide shut while she savored her delectable reward. Once she had swallowed the bite, she turned her attention back to her sister. "What happened, Elsa?" she asked. "I thought you were good at chess." She leaned forward and leveled an accusatory finger. "You didn't _let_ me win, did you?"

"Of course not," Elsa replied defensively. _It's not my fault that you make the most adorable faces while thinking about your moves, or that essentially everything about you distracts me._ She stood and offered her sister a hand. Once they were both up, she held out an arm for Anna to take while they walked. "So, what do you want to do now?" she asked.

Anna didn't answer immediately. She _wanted_ to sit Elsa down and get whatever it was that was bothering her out in the open so that they could deal with it, but she also didn't want to ruin the mood between them. They were finally just hanging out and having fun. They weren't the Queen and Princess of Arendelle, they were just two sisters enjoying spending the day together. She didn't want to risk that by dragging whatever imagined problem Elsa might have come up with out into the open.

Before Anna could come up with an answer, a servant stopped in front of them and bowed. "Your majesty, your highness," he said. "Madam Gerda wanted me to inform you that the lunch you requested is almost ready. She wanted to know where you wished to take it."

"Thank you," Elsa replied, giving the man an appreciative nod. "Please have her send it to the stables. Anna and I will be along shortly." The servant bowed again and retreated back the way he had come. Elsa turned to her sister and smiled. "Shall we?" she asked. "It's been some time since I've been riding, so I'll need you to pick out a nice calm horse for me."

Anna briefly entertained the idea of finding the most spirited stallion she could for Elsa to ride, but the thought fled as soon almost as soon as it appeared. "Don't worry," she said, leaning to rest her head on her sister's shoulder. "I know just the one. She'll love you."

A few more minutes of walking brought them out to the stables. Anna was pulling her sister along again, nearly skipping along in her excitement. She waved excitedly to the stable hands and occasionally paused to pet or talk to one of the horses.

A short, middle aged man rounded a corner and clapped his hands when he saw the sisters. "Ah, Princess Anna. It is so good to see you," he said. He froze for a moment when he saw Elsa trailing a few feet behind the princess. "Oh, and Queen Elsa as well! An honor, your majesty." He dipped into a flourishing bow, pulling off his hat to reveal a balding head underneath.

"Hello," Elsa replied, nodding. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of making your acquaintance."

"Oh!" Anna chirped, sliding her arm out from around her sister's. She stepped between the queen and the man, but stood off to the side just a bit. "Elsa, this is Carter Williams, the head groom. Carter, this is—" She stopped and giggled before finishing, "Well, I guess you _know_ who this is."

"But of course," Carter replied, dipping into a shallower bow than his first. "A pleasure, your majesty."

"Likewise," Elsa said. "I'm sorry that it's taken up until now. I've been trying to get to know all of the castle staff… but there are quite a few of you."

Carter nodded, saying, "Indeed there are, your majesty. But now that you are here, let me introduce you to everyone." He started to turn, but stopped and grinned when he saw the queen blanch. "I jest, of course."

Elsa couldn't help but smile. The man's jovial nature was a welcome change to the immense deference with which nearly everyone else treated her. As Queen, she had fully expected people to be courteous and perhaps a bit distant, but both foreign dignitaries and even her own subjects had been… almost fearful of her ever since her 'episode.' She had hoped to smooth things over by showing everyone that she could use her powers for good, but she could still see the wariness in many people's eyes. But not Carter. He was still respectful, but he was willing to crack a joke and treat her like a person, rather than some predatory animal that might bite at any moment.

"So, how may I assist you today, your highness?" Carter asked, turning back to Anna.

"We need some horses," Anna replied cheerily. She skipped over to a stall and began petting the horse within, running her hand along the brown fur of its snout. "I was thinking about taking Venus," she said, and the horse nickered as if agreeing with her, "but I don't know which one Elsa should take." She leaned toward the head groom conspiratorially, but kept her 'whisper' loud enough that her sister could hear. "She's a bit of a wimp."

Elsa tried to glare at her sister, but it was ruined by the wry smile that spread across her lips. "I am not!" she shot back indignantly, though the pair acted as if she hadn't spoken.

"Ah, but of course," Carter said, nodding in understanding. He tapped his chin for a few moments before snapping his fingers. "Aha! I know just the one." He motioned toward the far end of the stables, saying, "If you would be so kind as to follow me." He led the queen and princess back and around a corner before stopping and indicating a stable on his left. "Your majesty, I present you, Hercules."

Elsa took one look in the stall and her chest tightened. It was dominated by a monsterous black stallion that looked like something a knight would ride into battle. She couldn't even imagine how she would mount such a beast, much less get down. "Please tell me this is some poorly executed joke," she said, watching the head groom for some sign that she was right, but he merely smiled back.

"I know he looks intimidating, your majesty," Carter said, "but I assure you that he is the very definition of a gentle giant." He reached out and laid a hand on Hercules' snout, and the horse gently nuzzled into the touch.

"I don't know, Carter," Anna said, glancing back and forth between her sister and the horse. "I know that Hercules is calm and all, but he's a bit… much." Her eyes scanned the row of stalls. "I was thinking maybe Francesca."

"Another excellent choice, your highness," Carter replied. He waved over a pair of grooms before turning back to the queen and princess. "I'll have your horses saddled momentarily and meet you out front if you don't wish to wait back here."

"Oh, that's okay. I can saddle Venus," Anna said, waving away the offer of help. When Carter opened his mouth to protest, she kept going, "It's okay, really. I _like_ doing it. It's… relaxing."

"Very well," Carter said, nodding. He turned to the queen and asked, "Would you like to saddle your own horse as well, your majesty?"

"No, thank you," Elsa replied. "I have enough trouble _riding_ a horse. I have no clue how to _saddle_ one. I'll simply wait out front." She went to address her sister, but Anna was already skipping around the corner back toward the horse she had picked out earlier. Elsa headed out a nearby side door to escape the inevitable odor of the stables and made her way back around to the front of the building. Unfortunately, being alone gave her mind time to wander, and it immediately responded with a vision of her and Anna on their ride. No kingdom to worry about, no need to guard themselves at all times because someone might come looking for them at any moment, just the two of them alone together. In her mind, she could see Anna in her element and truly happy again, and the sight was breathtaking.

_Nothing is going to happen,_ she told herself. _Nothing is going to happen… but what if it does?_ She could see them resting under a tree after lunch, enjoying the shade to escape the heat of the day. She could easily imagine Anna resting her head on her shoulder, or worse, her lap. Even now her fingers itched to brush a loose lock of hair behind her sister's ear, imagining the content sigh Anna would let out while Elsa's fingers ran through her hair.

Elsa snapped herself out of the daydream and shook her head, trying to dislodge the last vestiges of images that clung to her mind. She pressed her hands to her face and felt the heat burning in her cheeks. Suddenly, she was extremely thankful that she was alone for the time being.

"Ah, there you are, your majesty."

Elsa jumped a bit at the sudden arrival of a voice. She turned to see Carter leading a beautiful black and white speckled horse over to her. "I present to you, Francesca," he said. He patted a pair of saddlebags draped across the horse's back. "A servant brought by a prepared lunch from the kitchens, so I took the liberty of packing it in here."

"Thank you," Elsa said, smiling and hoping that her blush had faded. She made her way over to the horse, but made sure to keep a wary eye on it. Most horses that were spooked by her powers tried to back up or run away, but several of them had tried to bite her or even reared up to kick her. She carefully extended a hand toward the horse, but it seemed unperturbed by her presence. Once her hand was close enough, the horse sniffed it for a moment before moving it's muzzle under her hand so that she could pet it. The queen let out a relieved breath and smiled, readily agreeing to Francesca's request.

"Oh good, she likes you," Anna chirped as she led her own horse out to meet her sister. "I had a feeling she would. So, are you ready to go?" When her sister nodded, she hooked her foot into a stirrup and smoothly lifted herself up onto the saddle. As much as she preferred riding astride, she wasn't dressed for it, so she reluctantly sat sidesaddle. She looked over to see her sister eyeing Francesca's saddle warily. "Do you need some help there, Elsa?"

"No," Elsa shot back. "I just… haven't been on a horse in some time, and the last thing I want to do is fall on my face in front of everyone." She glanced over at her sister to see how she was seated on her horse, then turned back to Francesca. She carefully placed her foot into the stirrup and pushed herself up into the saddle. Once she was seated, she took a moment to make sure that she wouldn't immediately fall back off, then she grabbed the reins and gave her horse a slight nudge to start it forward. Francesca's movements almost sent her plummeting from her perch, but she soon found a rhythm to them and felt secure again. "Okay, are you ready to go?" she asked.

"You bet," Anna replied, beaming. She gave Venus a slight kick with her heels, and the horse broke into a light trot. Her grin stretched even wider as she felt the first stirrings of the wind pulling at her hair, and she couldn't keep an excited giggle from sneaking past her lips. She looked back over her shoulder and saw her sister falling behind, so she called back, "Keep up, slowpoke!"


	6. Chapter 6

A Snowball's Chance in Hell

**Chapter Six**

Anna managed to keep the urge to kick Venus into a full-blown gallop in check while she and Elsa made their way out to one of the city's side gates. She knew that it probably wasn't a good idea to go too fast since she was riding sidesaddle, but the allure of racing across a field with the wind tugging at her hair was just too much to ignore for long. As soon as the side gate opened and she saw the wide open stretch of grass waiting on the other side, her legs itched to spur Venus forward even faster, but she kept her speed steady.

Behind her, Elsa was struggling just to stay on her horse. She'd been able to find a steady rhythm in Francesca's movements when they were going slow, but that rhythm had all but disappeared when she had urged the horse to go a little faster so that they could keep up with her sister. Not for the first time, she wished that they had stopped and changed into proper riding attire before heading out. Elsa tried to keep her eyes on her sister, but kept feeling the need to look down every couple seconds to make sure Francesca wasn't about to step over a rock or something that could potentially send her tumbling to the ground.

After a few more moments, the call of the open field became too much for Anna to resist. She kicked a heel into Venus' side and gave her a quick, "Let's go, girl." The horse snorted and immediately broke into a gallop. Anna had to grab the pommel of her saddle to steady herself, and she gave a wordless cry of joy as the wind pulled more insistently at her hair. She thought that she heard her sister say something, but she couldn't hear anything over the sounds of the wind rushing by her ears and her heart pounding in her chest.

Unfortunately, Anna's exhilaration was short lived. Riding sidesaddle simply didn't give her the balance or leverage to keep steady at a full gallop. She managed to stay mounted for a few seconds, but she flew off of her saddle when Venus made a small jump to go over a rock in her path. Anna made sure to let go of the reins while the ground rushed up to meet her, and a jolt of pain rushed up her spine when she landed squarely on her butt before rolling a short ways.

"Anna!" Elsa cried. She yanked Francesca's reins to pull the horse to an abrupt stop and leaped down from the saddle. The heels of her shoes sank into the soft ground when she landed, but she simply ripped her feet from the flimsy straps holding them in and ran barefoot to her fallen sister. She dropped to her knees a few feet away and skidded to a stop behind Anna's prone form. "Anna, are you alright?" she asked frantically, nearly clawing at her sister's arm to roll her over.

"Owwwie," Anna moaned into the grass. She slowly rolled over onto her back, wincing as the pressure sent another spike of pain through her backside. She cracked an eye open to see Elsa's worried face staring back at her, so she mustered the best smile she could, though she imagined it probably wasn't very convincing. "I'm okay," she said, trying to ward off her sister's inevitable fretting. "I'll have a bruise in the morning, but that's it."

"What were you thinking, Anna?" Elsa asked irritably. She huffed and rolled her eyes when her sister offered only a shrug in response. After getting back to her feet, she reached down and offered the fallen princess a hand up. Now that she'd made certain Anna wasn't seriously injured, another potential issue jumped to the front of her mind. _Shit, the horses,_ she thought, scanning the field for Venus and Francesca. Luckily, both horses had taken the sudden departures of their riders to do as they pleased, which was eat. They had migrated to the shade of a nearby tree and were grazing happily. Elsa took her sister's arm and guided her over toward the horses, making sure to walk slowly. "So, should we just have lunch here?" she asked.

"Pshh… no way," Anna replied, grinning. "I've taken harder falls than that and kept—_ow_—going. There's no way I'm gonna let that…" Her words drifted off and she fixed her sister with a curious glaze. After a few moments of staring, she blurted out, "Did you get shorter?"

Elsa couldn't stop the laugh that burst out of her. "No," she replied once it had passed. "I just… lost my shoes somewhere." She glanced down at her bare feet, taking the opportunity to wiggle her toes in the grass.

"You… lost them?" Anna asked, confusion written clearly on her features.

Elsa nodded, as if losing her shoes in a field were an everyday occurrence. She casually looked back over to where she had initially dismounted and saw her shoes stuck exactly where she'd left them. "Ah, there they are," she said, slipping her arm out from Anna's. She walked over to her shoes and hooked a finger around the top of each one. A firm tug freed them from the dirt, and she rejoined her sister on the walk over to their horses. "I think they'll need a bit of work before I can wear them again," she said, holding the shoes up to show off the broken straps.

Anna could only stare blankly at her sister, her mouth hanging open slightly. She wanted to ask for some kind of explanation, but at the same time, she felt that the entire conversation was too far gone to salvage. Eventually, she filed her questions away for later and focused on walking without aggravating her sore backside any further. After another minute of hobbling, she reached Venus and grabbed ahold of her reins. "Okay, girl, let's try that again," she said, patting Venus' neck.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest for a bit first?" Elsa asked as she tied Francesca's reins to a low-hanging branch on the tree. Once the horse was secure, she opened one of the saddlebags and started rooting around for a blanket. A flash of movement caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, and she reflexively looked over to see what it was. She was wholly unprepared for the sight of Anna gingerly rubbing her injured behind, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from making several undignified noises.

"No," Anna said. "It'll only get worse the longer I wait." She hooked her foot into a stirrup, but paused before pushing herself up onto Venus' back. Her eyes jumped back and forth between the saddle and her skirt. After a few moments of contemplation, she pulled her foot out of the stirrup. "Screw it," she mumbled to herself, reaching down and gathering her skirt in her hands.

Behind her, Elsa was treated to yet another tantalizing peep show as her sister's skirt climbed higher and higher up her legs. She stood frozen in place, her quest for a blanket utterly forgotten, while she watched vast swathes of perfect milky skin revealed themselves before her. There was even a flash of green panties before Anna shifted her grip to hold her skirt in one hand, causing the back side to fall a little lower. The princess hoisted herself back up onto her horse, swinging a leg all the way over to sit astride rather than sidesaddle, and the deliciously bare legs vanished back under their wearer's skirt.

"I'll be back in a little while," Anna called back over her shoulder, unable to tear her eyes away from the open field before her. She dug her heels into Venus' side without waiting for an answer, and she let out another exhilarated yell as she shot forward.

Elsa finally shook herself from her stupor when her sister rode off. She slowly pulled her eyes around to look down into the saddlebag again, but her mind was still preoccupied with fantasies of her hands and lips running over Anna's immaculate thighs. Closing her eyes, she focused on taking deep breaths and dismissed the images parading through her mind, albeit somewhat reluctantly. _Get a hold of yourself,_ she chided herself. _Control. Conceal, don't feel. Don't feel._ It was a treacherous line of thought, she knew that, but it felt exceptionally appropriate.

She took one last deep breath and exhaled slowly. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the entire interior of the saddlebag was covered in a fine layer of frost. Pursing her lips in frustration, she waved it away before resuming her search for a blanket, but found nothing after digging all the way to the bottom of the bag. She closed the bag and walked around to Francesca's other side. When she opened the second saddlebag, she was immediately greeted with the sight of a large red and white checkered blanket.

Elsa busied herself with unpacking the saddlebags and setting up lunch. As long as she kept busy, her mind couldn't wander into dangerous territories. Her sister was still eagerly riding around the field by the time she had finished unpacking their lunch. She briefly considered calling her sister over, but Anna's bubbling laughter and ecstatic cries drifted over to her and she decided that she could wait.

Unfortunately, waiting meant that she had nothing to distract her, and her mind could wander freely. She tried to watch Anna ride, but the sight of her sister only reminded her of why they were outside of the city to begin with. _I have to tell her,_ she thought, her mind flashing back to their pinkie swear the previous evening. _I have to tell my heartbroken little sister that I'm in love with her._ Despite not having eaten breakfast, Elsa still felt like she was about to vomit. Her mind filled with images of Anna staring at her in varying states of hate, disgust, revulsion, betrayal, and several hurt emotions she didn't have names for. Elsa let her head fall so that her forehead rested on her knees. _I can't do this. I can't, I just can't, I—_

"So, what's for lunch?" Anna asked while she tied Venus' to a branch. She flopped down next to her sister, pausing in her appraisal of the feast laid out before them when she realized Elsa hadn't looked up during her approach. "Hey, you okay?" she asked, laying a hand on Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa jumped a bit at the contact and sat up a little too quickly. "Sorry," she said, trying to force a smile. "I'm just sore from the ride." She turned her attention to their lunch before her sister could respond. "It looks like Gerda kept it simple. There's fresh fruit, some turkey sandwiches—" she grabbed a pair of scratched and slightly chipped glasses. "—the castle's _finest_ china, and a wineskin full of water." She grabbed the wineskin and pulled the lid off, tipping it over the glasses. Both she and Anna were surprised when a light pink liquid came out. "Or not," she mumbled flatly.

"Ooh, wine," Anna chirped happily. She grabbed the first glass as soon as her sister stopped filling it, bringing it to her nose and taking a quick sniff. Technically, she was still 'underage,' though her position as a Princess rendered the label moot. Still, holding the glass in her hand gave her that rush of the forbidden, like she was worried Gerda would walk in on her and scold her.

She took a quick sip. The liquid was sweet and fruity, but warm. She held her glass out toward her sister and shook it a bit, causing the wine to slosh around inside. "Do you mind?" she asked sweetly. Elsa rolled her eyes and tapped the glass with a finger. A light coating of frost spread along the far side in spiraling fractals. "Thanks," Anna said, leaning over and giving her sister a quick hug with her free arm. Her eyes roamed over the blanket for a few seconds, and she sighed. "I was really hoping for some—"

"Dessert?" Elsa finished for her, holding up the bag of truffles from the kitchen.

"More like _appetizer_," Anna corrected her. She lunged for the bag, but her sister cruelly held it out of reach. "Come on, Elsa," she whined. She made one last futile grab for the bag, but it was tantalizingly just out of reach. She fell back to her seat, wincing a bit with the impact, then gave Elsa her best puppy dog eyes. "Pleeeeease?" she asked, pushing out her lower lip in a pout.

Elsa tried to steel herself against the adorable assault, but it was hopeless. After a few excruciating seconds of suffering under her sister's gaze, her will crumbled and she dipped her hand into the bag. "One," she said, dropping a truffle into her sister's eagerly outstretched hand. "The rest of them can wait until after lunch."

"Deal," Anna replied, tossing the delicious morsel into her mouth. She followed it quickly with a swig of her wine, sighing as the mixture of flavors played across her tongue. When the last of her chocolate and wine disappeared, she turned her attention to the rest of the food laid out before her. She grabbed a handful of blackberries from a bowl and popped one in her mouth.

Elsa picked up one of the turkey sandwiches and took a bite. She wasn't hungry at all. In fact, she was so nervous that she was worried anything she ate might just come right back up, but she wanted to try and make this last as long as possible; one last pleasant memory of them just being sisters before she ruined things beyond any hope of repair or redemption. She grabbed her glass and took a quick drink.

"So, are you going to tell me why you've been avoiding me?" Anna asked, casting a sidelong glance at her sister, who appeared to be choking on her wine. "Or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

Elsa coughed into a hand, trying desperately to expel the wine that she'd just tried to breathe. Once the fit passed, she turned to her sister. "I haven't been…" She drifted off when Anna fixed her with a deadpan stare. Elsa took another drink of her wine, refilled both of their glasses, then went to staring down at her lap. Despite all of her stalling over the past few days, she still had no idea how to even begin to explain things. Several times, she opened her mouth to start speaking, but she couldn't force any words out of her throat and gave up with a defeated huff.

Anna waited, even though part of her wanted to grab her sister by the shoulders and tell her to just spit it out. She knew that forcing the issue would only cause Elsa to shut down or try and run, so she went back to her lunch and gave her sister time to do… whatever it was she needed to do.

"It's just…" Elsa began before fading into silence again. She ran a hand through her hair and took another sip of her wine. "You and Kristoff," she finally blurted out. "Seeing how happy you two were… or I _thought_ you were, I suppose, made me…" She trailed off, her mouth open like she couldn't quite force out the last word.

"Upset?" Anna offered, but her suggestion was met with a shake of Elsa's head. "Angry? Sad? Annoyed? Nauseated?" Each word got another denial, though the last one also garnered a small chuckle. Anna pursed her lips and thought for a moment. "Lonely?" She asked. Elsa's shoulders slumped a bit, and she knew that she'd struck the core of the issue. She scooted over and wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders. "I thought so. Come on, spill. Who's got ya down?"

_You._ Elsa had to bite her tongue to keep the word from spilling out of her mouth. "It doesn't matter," she said, shaking her head. "Sh—they're not… available."

"_She?_" Anna repeated, fighting to keep her grin from getting _too_ big. "So, it's a girl, then." She leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, "You know, after Hans and Kristoff, I've been thinking about playing for the other team myself." She smiled shyly at the admission, but Elsa only looked away from her. "Is she pretty?" she asked.

"She's gorgeous," Elsa responded before clamping her mouth shut. She'd been expecting something else from her sister. A question about who her mystery crush was maybe, where she was from, or even whether or not Anna would know her; not anything about her looks. She'd been so unprepared for it that her honest answer had slipped out before she could stop it. _Well, the cat's out of the bag now,_ she thought, the edge of her mouth pulling up into a slight smile. "She's one of the most astoundingly beautiful women I've ever met… and she doesn't even know it."

"Well, she can't be more beautiful than _you_," Anna said, leaning her head against her sister's shoulder.

Elsa leaned into the contact while guilt wrapped its icy grip around her insides. She felt like a dam that had sprung a leak. Every question Anna asked only made the crack bigger and let more and more pour forth, and she knew it was only a matter of time before the whole truth came bursting out like a flood. She stared down into her glass, not trusting herself to look anywhere else. The silence stretched between them for a minute, and it made Elsa squirm while her confession writhed inside her and tried to break free. "She's a redhead," she said to fill the silence.

"I'm not surprised," Anna replied, looking smug. "We are the best, after all." She went back to watching as Venus grazed around, but after a bit she asked, "Is she from around here?" Her sister nodded, but didn't offer any additional information. "I don't see why you can't just tell this woman how you feel. I mean, you've obviously got it bad for her. Just… say something."

"I can't," Elsa muttered, shaking her head. "She's not exactly someone that I can just walk up to and say, 'Hi, how's it going? Oh, by the way, I'm completely head over heels in love with you.'" She took another drink to stop the words tumbling out of her mouth.

_Love?_ Anna wondered silently. She opted not to follow that particular thread at the moment, focusing instead on trying to piece together the identity of her sister's mystery woman. "Why not? You're the _Queen_ after all. I doubt there's anyone who would be willing to say 'no' to you."

A single joyless laugh escaped Elsa. "And what if she did? What kind of relationship would that be, forcing her to agree with no regard to her own desires?" She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid that tears might pool in them if she kept them open. "Besides," she continued. "I don't think she sees me as much of a queen… at least, I don't want her to." Her voice was barely more than a whisper when she finished talking.

Anna's heart broke in her chest while she watched Elsa struggle. It was written clearly on her face that she wanted to let the truth spill out, but was holding it in for some reason. Anna laid a hand on her sister's cheek, gently pulling her head around so that they faced each other, but Elsa kept her eyes firmly shut. "Please, just tell me, Elsa," Anna pleaded. "I promise, there is _nothing_ you could say that could ever make me think any less of you. I love—" She froze mid sentence when the pieces clicked into place. Little snippets of what Elsa had said came back to her.

"_She's gorgeous…"_

"_She's a redhead…"_

"_She's not exactly someone I can just walk up to…"_

"_I don't think she sees me as much of a queen…"_

Suddenly, it all made sense. Elsa's reluctance, her odd behavior, the avoidance, everything made sense now. Anna let her hand fall away from Elsa's face, dropping it to the ground to steady herself. "It's me," she whispered. When her sister didn't respond, she tried again. "It's me, isn't it?" she asked more loudly.

"I'm sorry, Anna," Elsa said, her voice breaking. "I never… I don't…" She trailed off and covered her mouth with a hand, as if trying to physically hold back the crying she knew was coming.

Anna sat impossibly still. Her mind was too busy running a mile a minute in a dozen different directions leaving no space for even the thought of movement. A number of different emotions bounced wildly around her head, confusion chief among them. Part of her wanted to hug Elsa for finally coming clean, while another part wanted to slap her for keeping something so important hidden for so long, and yet another part of her wanted to scream and try to drown out the roaring cacophony in her head.

She knew that her sister was waiting for some kind of response, and that her silence was probably wearing on Elsa's already frayed nerves, but it was all too much. The revelation had turned her entire world into a swirling maelstrom, and her last bastion of safety was the heart of the storm. Anna pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to sort through the mess for anything that made a semblance of sense.

"I'm sorry, Elsa," she said after a time. "I just… I can't…"

"It's okay! It's okay! You don't have to!" Elsa told her with a laugh that held no joy. "We'll just forget all about it. This never happened. I'm just your... strange elder sister." She dropped her gaze back to the blanket. _This isn't her problem, it's mine,_ she thought determinedly. _She doesn't have to do anything. I'll just keep everything buried until she finds a new boyfriend. Maybe I could even… help her find one, and then she can go live with him. It'll be easier if I… don't have to see her all of the time._ She felt frustrated tears rising within her at the thought of Anna moving out of the castle, but she swallowed them down and put on her best smile. _Everything will be okay… for her, at least._ She grabbed the bag of truffles and offered it to Anna. "Dessert?"

_How can she just pretend like nothing's wrong after that? Unless... _Anna watched her sister carefully. Elsa was smiling, but it was a stilted smile which looked fake and unnatural. _She is hurting more than ever, and she wants me to forget all about it?_ Anna frowned. _There's no way in hell I am going to let her do this to herself again,_ she thought grimly, dipping a hand into the bag. _But what to do?_ "Thanks," she said, offering up her own smile which felt just as fake.

Elsa put the bag back down and grabbed a sandwich. She wasn't hungry, but she didn't want to risk saying anything to ruin the tenuous peace between them. _At least I didn't screw things up __**too**_ _badly,_ she thought, relieved. _I just need to keep things under control and hopefully things will go back to normal… well, as normal as they can be._ She glanced at her sister, who was staring rather intently at a point just past the far edge of the blanket, and a depressing thought crossed her mind. _Unless… she's just trying to find a way to let me down easy._

Anna nibbled on a piece of fruit and washed it down with a sip of wine. She wasn't interested in eating, but she needed something to buy herself time to try and sort through the jumble of thoughts and feelings in her head. She was still trying to process that Elsa loved her in _that_ way, but something about the notion irked her. _That way… what is __**that**_ _way? It's still love isn't it? It can't be that different, or we wouldn't call it love anymore, would we?_ She chewed on her lower lip and looked over at Elsa for a moment. _Could I love her in that way?_ she wondered.

She tried to picture kissing Elsa, _really_ kissing her, and both of them letting their hands roam over the other's body. It was strange, and it definitely carried a bit of an 'ew, she's my sister!' feeling… but it wasn't wholly unpleasant. She imagined that Elsa wouldn't be as rough as Kristoff was, that her movements would be fluid and graceful like everything else she did.

Anna had always loved Elsa unconditionally. It was what helped her endure years of isolation, only to dive head-first into a raging blizzard armed with nothing more than a ballroom dress and a completely irrational sense of optimism the moment she felt that Elsa needed her. Elsa had never really asked anything of her. She hadn't asked Anna to follow her up that freezing mountain, nor had she asked Anna to throw herself in front of a sword. Even now, her sister wasn't asking Anna for anything other than a bit of compassion, even when it was clear she wished for so much more.

Elsa watched Anna carefully while trying not to be too obvious about it. Though, her sister was so deep in her own little world that Elsa imagined she could start setting off fireworks and Anna wouldn't notice. She had finished about half of her sandwich waiting for Anna to say something, anything. She honestly wasn't even sure if her sister was just thinking, or if she had caused a mental breakdown in her otherwise cheerful younger sibling. Unsure of what else she could do, she picked up the bag of truffles again and held it out, but Anna remained as still as a statue. She eventually had to tap the bag against her sister's arm a couple times to get her attention.

Anna was pulled out of a rapidly spiraling train of thought by something hitting her arm, and she looked down to see the bag of truffles as the offending culprit. She glanced up at her sister, shaking her head and muttering a quick, "No, thank you."

_Refusing chocolate?_ Elsa watched as Anna went back to staring off into space. "Are you okay, Anna?" she asked, but her sister didn't respond. She cast about for a new topic, something that she could use to try and lighten the oppressive mood just a bit. Her eyes alighted on Francesca after a few moments, and she desperately hoped that her sister's passion for horses could give them a slight reprieve from awkward tension that had settled between them.

"Thank you for suggesting Francesca," Elsa said, trying to infuse her voice with a bit of levity. "She really is pleasant to ride, not to mention I can't even begin to imagine how I would have gotten up on that other horse. What was his name again?"

"Hercules," Anna replied flatly, not even bothering to pull her attention away from the point on the horizon.

Elsa's heart sank at the lifelessness that the one simple word conveyed. _So, I suppose that's it,_ she thought. _I've ruined everything we worked so hard to rebuild because I couldn't handle some goddamned hormones._ She took a deep breath as the reality of the situation settled over her. She figured that she'd feel something if Anna rejected her; anger, sorrow, loathing, just… something. Instead she felt numb, empty. _That's just as well. It wouldn't do to break down crying in front of her. It would only make her feel worse for no reason._

She stood up and brushed her hands over her skirt, wiping away nonexistent dirt or crumbs. "Well, shall we head back then?" she asked, her voice surprisingly even. Anna nodded mutely and the pair set to work cleaning up their barely-touched picnic. The moved in complete silence, never coming within arm's reach of each other. Elsa had just stowed the blanket in the saddlebag when the tense silence was finally shattered.

"Elsa."

The queen paused for an instant, the word hanging in the air like the Sword of Damocles. Yet, she felt oddly calm in the face of her imminent rejection. _At least it will be over,_ she thought wearily. _No more hiding, no more lies, no more guilt._ She turned and tried to smile, but it crumbled after a second. "Yes, Anna?"

Anna's face was impassive, and her eyes bored into her sister's, looking for something she couldn't quite articulate. After a few moments, she swallowed and steeled herself. "I'm sorry, Elsa," she said. "I know you want—you _deserve_—some kind of definitive 'yes' or 'no' answer… but I just can't give you one. Not yet. This is just… too much, too fast." She chewed on her lip for a moment before saying, "I don't love you the way that you love me." Elsa's gaze dropped to the ground, but Anna stepped forward and cupped her cheek with a hand, forcing her head back up until their eyes met again. "But I think I'd like to."

Elsa could only stare dumbly, her mouth hanging open while her brain tried to process what she'd just heard. She was suddenly painfully aware of her heart hammering in her chest. "Anna," she murmured, almost reverent. "Are… are you saying…"

"I'm not saying 'yes'," Anna replied quickly. The sudden burst of speech gave way to obvious nervousness, and her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "But I'm not saying 'no' either." She took one of Elsa's hands and laced their fingers together, holding it to her chest. "I'm not really sure how I feel about all of this, and I'll need a lot of time to think… but I know that I love you. I want to give this a shot, to give… _us_ a shot."

Elsa threw her free arm around her sister and pulled her into a tight hug. She buried her face in Anna's neck while tears of joy ran down her cheeks. She knew that things could still fail miserably, but the simple fact that Anna hadn't rejected her out of hand overwhelmed her. Once she got her emotions reasonably under control again, she stood back up. "Sorry," she said, wiping her free hand along her eyes. "I was just so sure that I'd fucked everything up horribly and that you were going to hate me."

"Oh, Elsa," Anna said, her mouth twitching up into a small smile. "I could never hate you." She pulled their still-entwined hands back to her chest. "I love you, no matter what."

Elsa leaned in so that their foreheads rested against one another and shook her head. "I don't deserve you," she mumbled.

"It's not a matter of _deserving_ me," Anna replied. "I'm your sister. You're _stuck_ with me." She brought up a finger and booped her sister on the nose.

Elsa smiled, the first genuine smile she'd worn in days. "I don't know _how_ I'll survive," she droned sarcastically. She let out a relieved sigh and said, "We should probably get back to the castle. If we stay out here too much longer, we're both going to end up with sunburns." She leaned up and gave her sister a quick kiss on the forehead, then turned to walk back to her horse. However, Anna kept a firm grasp on her hand and she was forced to stop after a few steps. Elsa looked back at her sister curiously.

"Um, Elsa?" Anna squeaked, finally letting their hands fall apart. She shifted back and forth on her feet nervously, trying to muster the courage to speak. "Do… do you think that, um, we could have a… a _real_ kiss?" Her cheeks were on fire by the time she finally got it out, and she was sure that her face looked like a tomato.

Elsa turned slowly and walked back in front of Anna. Her sister held her gaze, though it was clear she would have preferred to study the grass at her feet. "Are you sure?" she asked. Anna nodded determinedly, angling her face up a bit. Elsa cupped her sister's cheek with a hand and leaned in slowly, giving Anna every opportunity to back out if she wished. When they were only a few inches apart, Anna's eye fell closed, so Elsa followed suit and closed the last distance between them.

Anna nearly gasped when she felt Elsa's lips press against her own. Her sister's movements were soft and graceful like she'd predicted, but no amount of imagining could begin to compare to the real thing. Anna's skin felt like it was buzzing with electricity where Elsa's lips touched her, and the roaring confusion in her head slowly quieted down and melted away, replaced with a simple feeling of _right_.

She couldn't help but compare kissing Elsa to Kristoff, even though they were so different. Kristoff had always been hasty and a little clumsy. His kisses were rough and dominant, like he was trying to _win_ them. With Elsa, it was a fluid back-and-forth, both of them content to enjoy each other as equals. Anna's hand instinctively snaked up and wrapped around Elsa's neck, trying to pull her even closer.

Elsa's head was swimming in a heady mix of wine, relief, and lust. Even though she was holding Anna in her arms, feeling their lips slide past each other, she couldn't believe any of it was real. _God, if this is a dream, I never want to wake up._ More than just reciprocating, she could feel Anna trying to pull her deeper into the kiss, a distinct undercurrent of desire radiating from her entire body. It was so much more than than she'd ever dared to hope for, but she still held herself in check. The last thing she could afford to do was push things too far in a moment of passion. When Anna's tongue darted out and brushed her lip, Elsa placed her hands on her sister's shoulders and slowly pulled back. She had to bite back a moan as Anna's nails dug into the back of her neck and slowly dragged around her throat.

"We… we should stop, Anna," Elsa said breathlessly. Her sister didn't answer, but only stared at her in utter confusion as if she had suggested they stop breathing. Elsa's eyes drifted to Anna's lips, and she suddenly had trouble remembering exactly why she had wanted to stop in the first place. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. "I just… I don't want you to do something you'll regret later because of the wine."

Anna nearly scoffed at that. While it was true that she felt a tiny bit of a buzz from the glass or so wine that she'd had, but it was absolutely _nothing_ compared to the intoxication of her sister. The warmth of Elsa's skin, the softness of her body, the taste of her lips, it was all so much more than anything she'd ever felt before. She craved more, she _needed_ more, but the longer they spent separated, the more Anna's doubts and concerns crept back into her mind. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that Elsa was right. There was far too much at stake to rush into things blindly, no matter how indescribably amazing they felt.

"You're right," she finally replied, nodding. "I just… I'm not quite ready to go back yet. I've got a lot of things to think about, and I… I just need some time." She could already feel tension building between her eyes as the whirling jumble of thoughts in her head built back up to a dull roar. "Probably _a lot_ of time."

"That's fine. Perfectly fine," Elsa said, letting loose a few breathless chuckles. The rush of kissing Anna had faded, but she was still riding the emotional high of having her deepest, darkest secret out in the open. She pulled her sister into another quick hug, then let go and started walking backward toward Francesca. "Take all the time you need, Anna. I'll be right here whenever you're ready." She hoisted herself up onto Francesca's back and gave Anna one last smile before spurring her horse back toward the castle.

Anna watched her sister go for a bit before making her way over to where Venus was tied up. The whirling maelstrom in her head was back in full force now that she was alone, and she didn't know where to even begin to try and untangle everything. She moved mechanically as she undid Venus' reins, her mind alternating between frantic worry and desperately trying to relive the kiss she'd shared with Elsa. Once the reins were free, she gathered her skirt up in her hands again so that she could ride astride. She lifted herself up into the saddle and kicked Venus into motion. The wind began to roar in her ears as she picked up speed, but it wasn't enough to drown out the noise in her head.


	7. Chapter 7

**Quick A/N: **In this chapter, I'll start making use of the Mature rating that I saddled this story with (read: light smut. Nothing too harsh).

Thank you for all the kind words in the reviews. I greatly appreciate them.

-Dianwei32

* * *

A Snowball's Chance in Hell

**Chapter Seven**

The sun had nearly reached the horizon when Anna finally rode back through the castle gates. She had ridden across the countryside for hours trying to clear her head, but met with minimal success. She felt like it would be easier to sort through all of the noise in her head if she could just talk to someone about it, but she had quickly realized that her social circle was depressingly small. Outside of Kristoff and Elsa, she really only had Olaf and the trolls to talk to. She had nearly ridden out to visit the trolls, but just couldn't bring herself to do it. They had all been so happy when she and Kristoff had announced that they were together. She didn't want to have to break the news to them that Kristoff had cheated on her, especially when the wound was still so fresh.

When Anna came up to the stables, she found them empty except for Carter. She carefully dismounted from Venus' back, wincing as her muscles screamed in protest. "Ow, ow, ow," she muttered as she walked the last few feet to meet the head groom. Her back and shoulders were sore from being tensed most of the afternoon, but her knees hurt most of all. Part of her wanted to take a nice relaxing bath before going to bed, but she was legitimately concerned that she wouldn't be able to get up from the next place she sat or lay down for the next few days.

"There you are, your highness," Carter said. "I was beginning to get worried." He held his hand out, and the princess gingerly dropped them into his hand. "The queen told us that you had stayed behind to continue riding when she returned, but we didn't expect you to be out for so long."

"Yeah, me neither," Anna responded. She shifted her weight back and forth, trying and failing to find a comfortable position to stand in. "I guess I just lost track of time." She ran a hand through her windswept hair, wincing as even the simple motion sent a wave of pain through her shoulder.

"Ah, yes. That can happen on a good ride," Carter said, nodding. Though, the glance he shot at the princess suggested he didn't quite believe her. "Now, is there anything you require of me before I take Venus back to her stable, your highness?"

"No. That's all, Carter. Thank you," Anna replied. She waited until he had bowed and turned to lead Venus back into the stables before turning and hobbling back to the castle. By the time that she made it through the castle doors, she was relieved to find Kai waiting for her just on the other side. "I need a bath," she blurted out.

"Of course, your Highness," Kai said, nodding. "I'll have one drawn for you in the Royal Bathing Chamber immediately. Is there anything else you require?"

Anna's stomach growled in response, eager to remind her that she had not only barely eaten lunch, but then proceed to skip dinner as well. "Some food," Anna said meekly. "Nothing fancy, just… some of whatever's left over from dinner. The butler bowed and she started to head for her room, but stopped after a few steps. "Oh, do you know where Elsa is? I don't want her to worry too much about how long I was out."

"Her majesty mentioned she would be turning in early this evening," Kai replied. "I believe she has already retired to her room, but I can check myself if you would like."

"No, that's alright," Anna said. "I'll just… talk to her in the morning. Thank you, Kai." The butler bowed again and set off on his tasks while Anna trudged her way back to her room. Her aching muscles had loosened up a bit during her walk from the stables back to the castle, but stopping to talk to Kai had caused them to tighten back up. As she pushed the door to her bedroom open, the sight of her bed called to her like a siren's song, but she knew that if she lay down now, she'd never be able to get up for the bath she desperately wanted and needed.

Anna shed her clothes as quickly as her sore muscles allowed, then put on a bath robe and slipped back out into the hallway. She scurried down the thankfully empty halls until she reached the door to the Royal Bathing Chamber. Just as her hand alighted on the doorknob, she heard something from the other side. She kneeled in front of the door and pressed her ear up to the keyhole, trying to hear it more clearly. After a few seconds of listening, she finally identified the voice humming on the other side. _Elsa,_ she thought happily.

She was about to stand up and pull the door open when a devious thought stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes drifted back to the keyhole that she had been listening through. She chewed on her lower lip while indecision kept her rooted in place. _I can't. It's wrong, and it would be weird… right?_ Her self-restraint finally gave out, and she leaned forward to place her eye up to the keyhole. _Well, one little peek won't hurt._ It took her a few seconds to locate her sister, and a slight pang of disappointment filled her when she realized that all she could see from her angle was Elsa's head resting on the edge of a tub. However, a moment later Elsa sat up and stretched her arms above her head.

_Oh no, she's getting out_, Anna thought. _I should stop. Seeing her naked is… going too far._ Despite her insistence otherwise, she kept her eye glued to the keyhole as her sister placed her hands on the side of the tub and stood up. Her eye roved over Elsa's body while rivulets of water raced down every one of her curves. Anna's gaze followed a particular drop of water as it rolled over the curve of Elsa's breast, down her stomach, and over her hip before disappearing along the inside of her thigh.

Anna swallowed, suddenly finding it a bit difficult to breathe. Something prickled in the back of her mind while she watched her sister grab a towel and start to dry off. She thought back to a few days ago when their positions had been reversed. She had insisted that Elsa stay while she bathed, then dragged her sister to her room and forced Elsa to watch as she tried on dress after dress, peeling each one off when she felt like it didn't work. All that time, Elsa could have been doing the exact thing she was doing now, drinking in the wonders of her sister's body while she was none the wiser.

Anna knew that she should feel betrayed at the massive invasion of privacy. She _should_ feel nauseous at the thought of Elsa's eyes wandering over her nearly naked form and imagining all of the things she wanted to do…

But she didn't.

Part of Anna still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea that Elsa thought of her in _that_ way. But the thought of Elsa watching her, desire building and coiling within her, and forcing her to draw on her seemingly endless reservoir of self-control was… oddly exciting. _Why, though?_ Anna wondered, trying to draw her mind away from the warmth creeping between her legs. _I knew Kristoff felt that way about me, but it was… a bit weird, if anything. Now it's my __**sister**_ _and… God, it's hot._ She clenched her hands until her nails dug into the skin of her palms. Her breath caught in her throat as Elsa bent over to dry her legs and Anna caught a tantalizing glimpse of pink flesh between her legs. Unfortunately, Elsa stood up and pulled on a bathrobe a moment later, then started walking toward the door.

_Shit!_ Anna thought, scrambling to her feet. She made a break for the nearest corner, suddenly thankful that she'd chosen to go barefoot. Once she was safely on the other side of the corner, she pressed her back up against the wall. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears, and she was sure that her sister would hear it. She held her breath when the door to the bathing chamber opened. Her ears strained to hear Elsa's whisper-quiet footsteps, which faded and disappeared after a few seconds. She didn't dare to breathe until she peeked around the corner and saw the empty hallway.

After triple-checking that her sister had in fact left, Anna scampered around the corner and ducked into the bathing chamber, locking the door behind her. Her eyes immediately found the tub that Elsa had just been using. She started to make her way over to it, but she paused after a couple steps and glanced back at the keyhole she had just been peeping through. The thought that Elsa could easily take the position she had just been in and spy on her while she was bathing sent a shiver down her spine that only stoked the fire growing between her legs. However, that thought was followed quickly by the caveat that _anyone_ could peek in on her, so she quickly grabbed a pair of towels from a set of cabinets along the wall and draped one over the door handle, covering the keyhole.

Secure in her privacy, she walked back over to the tub that Elsa had been using and dipped her fingers in, only to immediately pull them back out because the water was nearly ice cold. _Somehow I'm not surprised,_ she thought wryly. Thankfully, she found another tub a few spots over that was full of hot water. She carefully lowered herself into the water, groaning as the heat seeped into her aching muscles. Once she was fully submerged, she rested her head on the edge of the tub and let her legs stretch out along the bottom. She could already feel the warmth loosening the tightness in her limbs and back after only a few seconds.

While the water cleansed her body of the day's ride, Anna let her mind wander. Almost immediately, it jumped back to seeing her sister in this exact position when she had first looked through the keyhole. _What would it be like to bathe with her?_ she wondered, her toes wiggling idly through the vast stretch of emptiness at the other end of the tub. She let her eyes drift closed and pictured the two of them in the tub together, one at each end so that they could each savor the sight of the other. _Hmm… not quite._ The image in her mind shifted so that they were on the same side of the tub. Elsa sat against the edge with Anna resting between her legs, her back pressed up against her sister's chest while Elsa casually wrapped her arms around Anna's waist.

_Much better,_ Anna thought, the corner of her mouth turning up into a slight smile. She traced the fingers of her right hand up her stomach and out along her ribs, imagining how her sister would giggle and trace the path of her fingers with her own. "_You're getting pudgy, Anna. A little too much chocolate, perhaps?"_

Anna didn't respond to the imagined ribbing, focusing instead on Elsa's fingers dancing feather-light over her skin. She slowly brought her hand inward over the curve of her breast. _Getting frisky, are we?_ She bit her lip to hold back a moan while her fingers worked in loose circles over the sensitive skin, and she desperately wished Elsa was really there to weave the trail of sloppy kisses and nibbles she saw in her mind. She brought her left hand into play as well, dragging her nails along the inside of her thigh.

"Oh, Elsa," she moaned, arching her back. Her chest and her hips instinctively sought more from the teasing fingers, but her imagination was in control now. Imaginary Elsa kept her hands just out of reach, both of them expertly skirting around Anna's most sensitive regions. Anna whimpered piteously as the knot of tension in her core wound ever tighter, begging for the release her sister was deliciously denying her. She gasped and shuddered when she imagined the feeling of Elsa's teeth on the nape of her neck, marking her for the rest of the world to see.

The hand on her breast circled ever closer, its rotation speeding ever faster as it inched slowly inward. To her mind it felt so good, so real, that it was no longer just Anna playing with herself. Her hands were Elsa's hands and they were driving her up a wall with desire.

The tip of a fingernail grazed the edge of her nipple and she threw her head back, a guttural moan tearing out of her throat as water splashed to the floor. Anna's hips rocked back and forth incessantly, pleading for attention while her—no, _Elsa's_ hand occupied itself with tracing lazy patterns along her thighs.

"_Please, Elsa," Anna begged, threatening to dissolve into a puddle of lust. "Just a—ahh!" Her plea was cut off when Elsa's fingers closed on her nipple and twisted it just a bit. She felt Elsa's other hand settle over her burning sex, and a single teasing finger trailed up her slit, a ghost of touch that sent jolts of pleasure through her body. "Please," she implored again, desperation dripping from the word. "I'm so—" Her words were cut off again, this time by Elsa's lips. Anna returned the kiss greedily, readily letting her lips part to allow her sister's tongue access. She wrapped an arm around Elsa's neck, snaking her fingers into her sister's hair._

_Anna moaned into the kiss as she felt Elsa finally work one finger into her, followed shortly by another. Elsa's fingers moved slowly, deliberately, always providing just enough stimulation to drive Anna to the edge, but never quite enough to push her over it. Anna's movements became erratic and uncoordinated, her breaths coming in shallow puffs as her arousal and frustration climbed. She bit Elsa's lip hard enough that she expected her sister to cry out, but Elsa merely smiled wickedly and pushed her fingers as deep into Anna as she could, using her palm to rub small circles over Anna's clit._

_Anna's hand flew to Elsa's leg, her nails digging into her sister's soft thigh as the first wave of her orgasm hit her. Her mouth hung open uselessly, her vocal cords frozen as nearly every muscle in her body tensed for an instant. All at once, the tension released, and tides of ecstasy radiated out from her groin. "Oh God, Elsa!" she cried. She bucked and writhed while Elsa continued her ministrations, drawing out Anna's pleasure as long as possible until the princess was left a quivering mess when it faded._

Anna simply lay in the tub while the fantasy faded. Her breath came in ragged pants, sending small ripples through the water. _Ho… ly… shit,_ she thought tiredly, a few breathless chuckles spilling out of her. She finally forced her eyes open to survey the damage, and she found the water level of the tub significantly lower than it had been when she started. The cool air above the water tickled her shoulders and upper arms, causing her to shiver and try desperately to submerge as much of herself in the lukewarm water as she could.

_Okay, I just… played with myself while fantasizing about Elsa._ A shiver raced down her spine that had nothing to do with the cold air. _But it was __**so good.**_ One last tremor ran through her, spreading from her core out to her limbs until it tingled in her fingers and toes. Part of her mind wanted to gear up and sort through the conflicting jumble of emotions still rampaging through her head, but her thoughts were sluggish after the day of riding and her exertions in the bathtub.

_Tomorrow. I'll work it out tomorrow,_ she assured herself. She slowly dragged herself out of the tub and toweled herself off. Her bath had proved more exhausting than relaxing, but the pleasant warmth that flowed through her body was more than worth it. Once she was reasonably dry, she slipped on her bathrobe and unlocked the door. She was thankful that the halls were empty on the way back to her room. Exhausted as she was, she pitied anyone who tried to get in between her and the comforting embrace of her bed.

The last vestiges of sunlight petered out along the horizon, leaving the hallways dark until servants could come by and light lanterns. Nonetheless, Anna navigated the darkened hallways easily. She'd spent many a night scampering through the darkness while she was supposed to be in bed, after all, even if those excursions had often led her to the kitchens rather than the Royal Bathing Chamber.

She reached her room and slipped through the door quietly. She briefly considered changing into a nightgown, but the allure of her bed was just too much, so she just slid off her bathrobe and crawled into bed. Her exhaustion finally got the better of her, dragging her down to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Anna woke the next morning to sunlight glinting off of her mirror. She tried to pull a pillow over her head to block it out, but it was too late. She was awake, and her stomach insisted that she get something to eat. Reluctantly, she sat up and ran a hand through her hair. It quickly got stuck in the tangles that always snuck in while she slept, and she was half-convinced that there was a particularly vindictive bird she had upset, which kept messing it up overnight.

Regardless, she got out of bed and trudged over to her vanity, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with a hand. She flopped down in the chair, wincing briefly as the impact reminded her of her bruised bottom, and reached blindly for a brush. After a few seconds of searching, she found one and set to the herculean task of getting her hair in order. Unfortunately, it was a rather monotonous task, and it left her mind free to wander. Almost immediately, it focused on Elsa and trying to work out the jumble in her head.

_Okay, so Elsa's pretty… like, __**really**_ _pretty, and that's good,_ she thought while she worked on a particularly stubborn knot in her hair. _But we're sisters, and that's bad… right? But why… ugh. We'll come back to that one later. So, where were we?_ She paused in her efforts and tapped the brush against her chin for a moment. _Oh, yeah. She's got amazing powers, which is good… but can also be bad. Hmm… I wonder if she loses control of her powers when she…_ Her mind immediately supplied her with an image of Elsa writhing on her bed with a hand buried between her legs, flurries of snow forming and melting in the air around her.

Anna shook her head as blood rushed to her cheeks and her groin. _No no no. Not now. I can't afford that right now._ She refocused on brushing her hair staring intently at the copper strands while her brush moved through them. _Well, it makes me hot imagining all the things she wants to do to me, and that's…_ She suppressed a shiver when memories of her fantasy in the bathtub played in her head. _That's __**definitely**_ _good._

She put the brush down on the table and started separating it to work it into two braids, but after a moment, she decided to just wear it down for the day. Content with her hair, she made her way into her closet to pick out a dress for the day. _Let's see… what else? She's warm and kind and gentle, and that's all good. But people would be horrified if they found out about us, so we'd have to keep it a secret. That's bad, like __**really**_ _bad… but also kind of exciting._ She grabbed a dark blue dress and held it up to herself in front of a mirror. _A forbidden romance—no, not this one—between star-crossed lovers. It's like Romeo and Juliet… or Juliet and Juliet's sister. Did she have a sister?_

After a bit more perusing, Anna grabbed a pastel green dress with yellow accents and slipped it on with a pair of matching shoes. Her stomach growled again, and she headed for the door, turning down the hall toward Elsa's room. She quickly arrived at her destination, her rumbling stomach spurring her to move a little faster than normal.

"Elsa? You in there?" she called, knocking on the door a few times. She waited impatiently for an answer, then opted to try the handle when none came. Surprisingly, it turned at her touch, and she pushed the door open. "Hello?" she called again, poking her head through the opening. She scanned her sister's room, but found no trace of the queen.

_Hmm… she must have woken up early_, Anna thought, pulling the door closed. She turned and walked toward the staircase so that she could head down to Elsa's study. Normally, the urge to slide down the handrail like she used to would be nearly impossible to resist, just like the call of the open field had been during her ride. However, in the aftermath of Elsa's confession and all of the mixed feelings it brought, a slide down the handrail didn't hold the same appeal it usually did. She stopped and poked her head into the library since it was on the way to Elsa's study, but it was predictably empty.

"Elsa?" Anna called out yet again once she reached the door to her sister's study. She pushed the door open, giving a quick perfunctory knock as she did so, and stepped into the room. Just as she had expected, Elsa was huddled over her desk, scribbling away in some ledger or journal. A fully-burned down candle sat next to her on the desk, its flame flickering on its last leg. "There you are," she said. "Decided to get an early start?"

Elsa put an emphatic period on the end of whatever she had been writing and sat back in her chair. "Not really, sleepyhead," she shot back, smiling.

Anna had been taking cautious half-steps across the room, but she relaxed when she saw her sister's smile. Something about reached up and made her eyes sparkle, and the sight took Anna's breath away. _God, how did I never realize how __**beautiful**_ _she is?_ Anna shook herself out of her momentary stupor and kept moving, hoping that her sister hadn't noticed her lapse in focus. She sat against the edge of the desk, trying to give Elsa a quick once-over. _She certainly __**looks**_ _happier than she's been the last few days. I wonder if—_

"Is everything alright, Anna?" Elsa asked, one eyebrow rising just a bit.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," Anna replied, trying to sound nonchalant. She belatedly realized that she'd been staring at her sister, and pointedly scanned the room. "I was just wondering if you were going to go get breakfast soon."

Elsa laughed, only remembering to cover her mouth with a hand as it started to die down. "I'm sorry," she said in response to her sister's confused look. "It's just that it's a little late for breakfast. Lunch might be more appropriate." She gestured over to the far wall, where a clock read half past eleven.

"Oh, yeah, I totally meant lunch," Anna said, trying to play off her mistake. _Shit, did I really sleep until eleven?_ She pushed off of the desk and started walking aimlessly around the room. "But, you know, sometimes you mean to say one things and something else slips out on accident." She pretended to examine a row of books while trying to clear the embarrassed blush from her cheeks by sheer force of will. "So, lunch?" she asked when she turned back around.

"Sure. I could use a break anyway," Elsa responded, setting down her quill. She stood up and laced her fingers together, stretching her arms above and behind her head. Unfortunately, the stretch gave Anna an excellent view of her sister's breasts straining against the fabric of her dress. She quickly averted her eyes, but not before the image could be thoroughly ingrained in her mind.

Anna pressed her hand over her eyes and had to hold back a groan. _Get it together, Anna,_ she chided herself. _Yes, she's gorgeous, but she's still your sister… and we haven't decided if that's okay yet._

"Anna? Are you sure everything's okay?" Elsa asked. She walked across the room and laid a hand on her sister's shoulder, which caused her to jump a bit.

"Huh?" Anna whipped her head up and around to face Elsa, only to be greeted by a faceful of her own hair a second later. After a few seconds of spitting it out and scrambling to get it out of her face, she smiled sheepishly. "Oh, no, I'm— I mean, _yes_, I'm… I'm fine." She cleared her throat and turned toward the door. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"Anna, wait," Elsa said. She grabbed her sister's hand to keep her from walking away. After a moment of indecision, she wove their fingers together and held Anna's hand between her own. She searched Anna's face for some sign of what her sister was really feeling, but only saw slight confusion. "I didn't make you… uncomfortable with everything that happened yesterday, did I?"

"What? Oh, no. Of course not," Anna replied, shaking her head. "It's just… I…" She paused. Something was different about Elsa's demeanor that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Her eyes flicked over her sister's face, trying to place it. She alighted on Elsa's eyes, which lacked the sparkle they'd held moments ago.

_She's afraid,_ she thought, the notion settling like a rock in her stomach. _She's afraid that I really don't want this, and that I'm only going along to spare her feelings or because I think I have to._ She let out a breath and smiled warmly. "I'm still trying to work out all of… _this_—" She motioned between the two of them. "—and it's… confusing, and kind of weird, and exciting, and terrifying." She paused for a beat and pulled their joined hands to her chest. "But through it all, I know that I love you, no matter what."

Elsa pulled her sister into a hug. "I love you, too." She murmured into the copper waterfall before her. _God, how did I get so lucky?_ She gave Anna one last squeeze and pulled back. Her arms rested on her sister's shoulders, and she felt Anna's arms slip securely around her waist. "Now, remember, you don't have to do _anything_ you don't want to. I don't want you to feel pressured because—"

Anna rolled her eyes and leaned forward, silencing her sister by capturing her lips in a quick, chaste kiss. "I know," she said once she pulled back a bit. "But stop being so hard on yourself, Elsa. _Any_one would be lucky to have you, and that includes me." She slipped out from their embrace and headed for the door. "Now come on. I missed breakfast, and I'm starving." Her stomach rumbled in agreement.

Elsa brought a hand up to her mouth and touched her fingers to her lips. They were still a tiny bit warm from Anna's being pressed to them. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and a grin quickly spread across her face. "Sure, let's go," she said, a few breathless chuckles following her words. She caught up to her sister and they lapsed into a comfortable silence as they walked.

However, after they turned and started down the second hallway, she felt a prickling on the back of her neck, like she was being watched. She glanced over and caught Anna just as she turned away. _What is with her today?_ Elsa thought. She faced back to the front, but kept her head turned just enough to keep her sister in her peripheral vision. While they walked, she saw Anna glance at her again, clearly trying to be sneaky about it.

_Why, though?_ She wondered. _What's she looking for?_ Elsa ran through a mental checklist, trying to figure out what she could have missed. _Hair. Make up. Dress. It's all the same as usual…_ They turned another corner, and she caught her sister taking another look, though this one dipped lower than the others had. _Is she just… looking at __**me?**_ _Well, one way to find out._ She casually clasped her hands behind her back and stretched, pinching her shoulder blades together. She noticed with a small sense of satisfaction that Anna did indeed steal a glance at her chest.

_Oh my God, she is!_ Elsa thought excitedly. _She's totally… oh, what did she call it with Kristoff? She's… checking me out!_ The thought made her giddy, but it also made her acutely aware of every part of her body's movements. Her gait suddenly felt awkward, one step too short and the next too long. _Should my arms be swinging that much? Am I standing up too straight, or slouching too much? Oh God, my hips are swaying like I'm some kind of street walker._

Luckily, the next turn around a corner brought them in sight of the dining room. Elsa nodded thankfully to the servant holding the door open and quickly walked over to her chair, desperate to sit down and quit worrying about the way she was walking. She sat down and waited for her sister to catch up before turning to the food spread across the table. An array of fresh fruit and small finger sandwiches lay before them, along with a steaming bowl of soup on each of their plates. She turned back to her sister and asked, "So, any exciting plans for the day?"

"Hmm?" Anna looked up, the spoon to her soup still in her mouth. She swallowed quickly—_Mmm. Chicken noodle_—and dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. "Not really," she finally replied, shrugging. "Normally, I'd probably hang out with Kristoff, but… yeah." Her eyes fell to her soup and she stirred her soup idly while a twinge of pain ran through her chest. She'd expected the memory of Kristoff's betrayal to hurt more. It was still rather fresh, after all. Yet here she was, less than a day removed from finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman, and the pain was already a pale echo of the gut-wrenching agony with which she'd run crying to her sister.

_My sister,_ she thought. Her eyes darted up to steal a quick glance at Elsa, and she couldn't help but smile a bit. Despite the way she felt, how much she wanted from Anna, Elsa had been willing to just put it all aside and simply be Anna's older sister, because that's what Anna had needed. Even now, with everything laid bare between them, she was giving Anna as much room and time as she needed to work things out without any pressure.

Anna suddenly felt the silence between them pressing down on her, even if her sister seemed content to work on her soup for the moment. "What about you?" she asked. "Any big meetings today?"

"No," Elsa replied, scooping up a spoonful of soup and blowing on it gently. "Well, I do have a meeting with Mister Eriksson to hear about his findings with this whole Dagnar mess, but that's pretty much it." She downed her spoonful of soup, then leaned across the table to grab a sandwich. "Though, one thing I have learned as Queen… there's _always_ more paperwork."

"Don't you have, I don't know, _people_ for that?" Anna asked, grabbing a peach from the tray of fruit.

"I suppose," Elsa said, chuckling. "Most of it is just needing to get my official signature on documents and such that _my people_ drew up, but some of them are things that only I have the authority to do, like the seizure of Petroff Shipping Industries." She tossed the entire sandwich into her mouth rather than splitting it into two more reasonably sized bites.

"How long did that take, anyway?" Anna inquired before taking a bite of peach.

Elsa smirked while she chewed and swallowed. "I'll let you know when I'm done," she said.

"You're _still_ not done?" Anna replied around a mouthful of food. "It's been, what, _four_ days?"

"Just about," Elsa said, picking up her spoon again. "There's a surprising amount of red tape involved in the forcible seizure of a private business by the crown. Apparently 'I'm the Queen' isn't enough of a reason." She shrugged, and the motion caused her spoon to slosh some soup out of her bowl and onto her skirt. "Dangit," she muttered, pressing her napkin to the liquid. But the damage was done, and a small brown spot stained her dress no matter how hard she scrubbed at it. She looked up at her sister, who was trying and failing to hide her giggles behind a hand. "Quiet, you," she said, the edge of her mouth twitching up into a smile.

"Sorry," Anna mumbled between giggles. They settled into a companionable silence while they both went back to their food. Sandwiches and fruit slowly disappeared from the table, though a few of the blackberries may have ended up being used as projectiles rather than being eaten.

When the last of her soup was gone, Elsa set her spoon down and stood up from her chair. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go put on a clean dress." she said, taking a few steps around the table.

"Oh, come on," Anna replied. "It's barely noticeable. You'll be fine." She hooked her arm over the back of her chair and turned to follow her sister's movement across the room. "You said earlier that you're just going to be doing paperwork, and I doubt the paper will mind a little stain on your dress."

"No, but I also have the meeting with Peter," Elsa said, laying her hand on the doorknob. "Plus, imagine the gossip if the castle staff saw me walking around in a stained dress."

"Oh, the scandal!" Anna said. She brought a hand to her forehead and pretended to swoon.

Elsa giggled and pulled the door open, but stopped before stepping out. "Say, I've still got a couple hours before my meeting, so do you want to play another game of chess?" she asked. "I'm sure I could scrounge up some more chocolate to wager."

"What, you didn't get enough of me kicking your butt last time?" Anna asked with a cheeky grin. Elsa stuck out her tongue, and Anna returned the favor. "Sure, that sounds fun. I'll meet you in the library in… fifteen minutes?"

"Alright," Elsa replied. "I'll see you there in a bit."


End file.
